Fairy Tail High
by an-upset-librarian
Summary: Lucy is new to Fairy Tail High and on her first day she bumps into the fighting duo, Gray & Natsu! With a reputation created for her, how is Lucy supposed to survive her junior year? Especially when she starts crushing on Natsu...How will she handle a new romance? T for language R&R
1. Pinky and Shirtless

CHAPTER ONE-PINKY AND SHIRTLESS

Lucy took a deep breath and her grip tightened on her bag. She looked at her new school, Fairy Tail High, in trepidation. The school had a strange symbol carved into the granite entryway and there were many windows lining the walls, giving the building an open feel. She always preferred big schools over small ones, because when a new girl came in nobody noticed. Unfortunately Fairy Tail was a small school in the town of Fiore, which meant she _would_ be noticed. Since she had transferred in during the middle of October, everyone else in the school would have friends and settled in to the new school year. All except Lucy. Lucy hated to be noticed. She grew especially shy after her mother died. Without Layla to help Lucy become a confident young woman, she had grown into a shy, introverted girl.

Lucy released a breath she didn't realize she was holding. _I just have to walk up. Nobody is going to stare…nobody is going to notice me…_ Lucy chanted in her mind. Lucy straightened her spine and walked up the front stairs, her skirt swishing with her legs. She heard whispers and saw people pointing out of the corner of her eye. Her stomach tightened. Lucy hated new schools, but she was constantly moving because of her fathers growing business.

"Um…excuse me? I was told to come here for my schedule?" Lucy asked softly. She had fumbled her way to the main office somehow. The office consisted of a few wooden desks lining the front and some chairs. There were a few doors along the back wall, which probably led to other offices. The bleached blonde receptionist popped her bright pink bubble gum, the sweet artificial scent reaching Lucy's nose. She tried not to scrunch her nose in disgust at the sickly sweet smell.

The receptionist—Susan—looked Lucy over through thick fake lashes. "Name," she said in annoyance.

"Lucy. Lucy…Heartfilia." Lucy cringed internally at Susan's shocked expression. Her father's name held great weight recently.

"Of course, of course!" Susan squealed. Lucy hated the reaction people had when they heard her family name. Lucy took the papers hastily and quickly walked out of the office. "If you need anything, just come on back here dear!" Susan called out. Lucy tightened the ribbon holding part of her golden hair in a side ponytail and looked down at her schedule.

** 1****st****\- Adv. English Studies level III-room G121**

** 2****nd****\- Calculus-room F132**

** 3****rd****\- Adv. History of the World-room G126**

** LUNCH**

** 4****th****\- Creative Writing-room G121**

** 5****th****\- Adv. Chemistry-room F122**

** 6****th****\- Mythology 101-room K211**

** 7****th****\- Off Period**

Lucy looked around for any signs that would help her find G Hall. She saw a faded blue sign hanging from the ceiling that read G Hall with an arrow pointing left. Lucy heard a bell ring twice, and all the people in the halls began rushing around. Not wanting to be late on her first day, Lucy edged her way through the crowd of people standing in front of the entrance to the G Hall and found herself at the front of a ring of people. Inside the ring were two—very attractive—young men. One of them had black, almost blue hair and matching eyes. The bizarre thing about him was that he was in the middle of taking his shirt off, revealing his impressive physique. Lucy tried to step back and blend into the crowd, but the crowd pushed back, restricting her movement. Lucy turned her attention back to the fight about to happen, and noticed the second teenager. He had strange pale pink hair and was wearing a black t-shirt with orange outlining the edges. A small red dragon decorated the chest of his shirt. He wore denim jeans and had a white scaly scarf wrapped around his neck.

"Oi, what did you say, you stripping bastard?" the pink haired one grumbled. He was up in the other boy's face and his arm was flexing menacingly at his side.

"I said you need to cool it you hotheaded idiot," the dark one replied icily.

"Are Natsu and Gray fighting again?" a voice whispered behind Lucy.

"Yea, it's the third time this week," another voice replied.

"Why I oughtta…" Pinky—that's what Lucy decided to call him, since she didn't know his name—mumbled. Lucy heard a commotion from behind her. Something slammed into Lucy from behind and she tumbled forward right into the angry duo. She flung her arms out to catch herself, and grabbed on to a warm body. She looked in front of her to see her hands wrapped around Pinky's waist. She quickly let go and lurched back, losing her balance, causing her to bump into the shirtless one. Lucy froze when she realized she was standing between two very angry teenagers. Lucy looked up and her chocolate eyes met onyx ones. Lucy was looking straight at Pinky, and he didn't seem too happy to see her.

"Who's that?"

"I don't know."

"Do you think she's new?"

Lucy felt her face flush at the comments from the students, but that was the least of her problems at the moment.

"What do you think you're doin'? I was about to beat this ice princess's sorry ass," Pinky said. "Uhh, well…" Lucy mumbled.

"Idiot. Can't you see she was pushed? Tsk," the shirtless one said. Lucy saw Pinky's face turn the same shade as his hair.

"I knew that!" he retorted. Lucy muffled a giggle behind her hand, but apparently Pinky heard her and his attention focused on her once again. He looked her up and down and squinted. "Do you even go here?" He asked her. The whispers from the crowd increased, and a bell tolled during her silence. Lucy felt anger rush through her. Why couldn't she have made it to her classes quietly? Now because of this idiot, the whole school probably knew that she was new. Lucy hated the attention the students were giving her.

"Listen up, Pinky. I just moved here and yes, I am new. Brilliant observation, Sherlock. Why don't you move out of the way for the people that actually want to learn!" She yelled. The dark haired one chuckled, and Pinky just muttered "Pinky?"

"What is going on here?!" A voice screamed. Pinky paled and looked over Lucy's shoulder with an expression of terror. The mob of students quickly dissipated, including the dark haired teen, leaving Lucy alone with Pinky in an empty hall. A short old man with a white suit and white cape adorned with white fur along the collar stood before Lucy.

"Old man…what are you doing here?" Pinky asked nervously.

"Well, many teachers called in saying half of their classes were missing and that there was a commotion in front of G Hall. Now what else was I to do, Natsu?" the old man replied. Natsu blushed and ruffled the back of his hair anxiously. The old man looked as if he were going to scold Natsu even more when he noticed Lucy.

"Ooh! What have we here! Natsu, what are you doing with a beauty like this, eh? You must be the new student, Lucy He—"

"Yes. I'm Lucy," she interrupted. The old man looked at her knowingly. "I was on my way to class when I was pushed into this fiasco between Pink—I mean Natsu—and another student. I'm sorry for the fuss," Lucy blurted. She had a habit of rambling when she was nervous.

"I see. Well, I'll excuse you this time, since it's your first day." He laughed. Lucy thanked him and noticed Natsu slowly inching away. "But you, Natsu…" the old man growled. Natsu froze and squeaked.

"Headmaster Makarov…I was only playin'," Natsu protested.

"No excuses! Since you seem to have no sixth period for some reason, you will now have the mythology class! And detention the rest of the week!" Makarov exclaimed. Lucy's spine straightened involuntarily when she realized the tiny grandpa in front of her was the Headmaster of the school.

"Awww, really? Come on old man, Gray was in it too," Natsu complained. Headmaster Makarov just smiled and walked away, whistling. Lucy saw the same strange symbol from the entrance embroidered on the back of his cape. She sighed and glanced at Natsu, who was kicking the beige wall and muttering. She felt a little guilty for yelling at him earlier, but was too afraid to apologize. Lucy looked back at her schedule and murmured, "G121. I'm going to be even later now."

Lucy walked into G Hall and glanced at each door, looking for G121. She found it in the back right corner of the hall. She took a deep breath and opened up the wood door.

"Now, when Shakespeare decides to—oh hello. You must be Lucy. I'm Mrs. Connell, but you can call me Bisca. Come in, sit down." The green haired woman beckoned Lucy towards a seat in the front row next to the window. There were many empty desks, and there was only about ten people in the class. Lucy smiled nervously at the cowboy hat wearing teacher and hurried to her assigned seat. Mrs. Conn—Bisca, was sitting on a table at the front of the room.

"Now, as I was saying, Shakespeare makes Romeo and Juliet a tragedy between star crossed lovers. I want you to write an essay on whether or not Romeo and Juliet is the epic romance everyone claims it to be. Two pages minimum, and I want all the juicy details. Don't forget to use quotes from the actual play. It'll be due the day after tomorrow, Friday." Some of the students groaned in protest. Bisca then hopped off the table and walked to the back where her desk was, her cowboy boots clacking on the tiled floor. Lucy didn't think Advanced English would be this easy, but she was glad for a quick assignment to get settled in. Lucy had just opened up her notebook when a wad of paper hit her in the head.

"Ow! What the?" Lucy mumbled. The clump of notebook paper rolled onto her desk. Lucy saw writing on the wad, and she spread the paper out on her desk. A big arrow pointed to Lucy's left and the words _Look over!_ Were scrawled beneath it. Lucy's brow furrowed in confusion, and she looked next to her. Bouncing around in her desk was a blue haired girl with glasses and an orange headband. She waved at Lucy with a huge smile on her face. The girl looked back at Bisca, then refocused on Lucy.

"I heard about the fight today. You yelled at Natsu and didn't get beat up! Plus you're new, and we haven't had anyone new in, like, forever. Well there was Gajeel and Juvia from Phantom High, but that was ages ago. My name's Levy, by the way. You're, Lucy. The new girl. Oh! Sorry, you probably don't like to be called the new girl, I mean who would right?" Levy whispered quickly.

"Um. Yeah, I'm Lucy. And I didn't mean to yell at Pink—Natsu. I was pushed into him and, yeah." Lucy laughed nervously.

"Woah. Well, you have to tell me everything. We'll be best friends. I just know it! Plus you're in this class, which means you are actually competent when it comes to books. Ooh! I almost forgot! You have to tell me all the details on Natsu and Gray. They're super hot, but I've never gotten a close up look like you have." Levy squealed. Lucy felt her face heat up.

"Well, I wouldn't say they were hot, I mean, sure they're really attractive. Like, wow. But I don't really focus on that kind of stuff. I move around a lot so…" Lucy trailed off.

"Hey, I want the details. Did you see Gray's rock hard abs? He strips right? I need to see that for myself one day. It's on my bucket list." Levy scooted her desk closer to Lucy's.

"Umm, yeah. He was shirtless. Which is weird," Lucy replied. Levy smiled and then grabbed her schedule off Lucy's desk. Lucy muttered in protest, but let the girl look at the paper.

"Awesome! We have a ton of classes together. First, second, fourth, and fifth! Plus lunch, but everyone has lunch together. We sophmores usually sit in one place. I'm so glad I have you in Chemistry. Ms. Porlyusica can be mean sometimes." Levy gave the paper back to Lucy and smiled. Lucy couldn't help but smile back. Levy seemed like a fun person, and it seemed to Lucy like she made a friend. The rest of the class went quickly with Lucy and Levy debating together on the subject of Romeo and Juliet. Levy thought it was a true romance about soul mates, while Lucy contradicted her by saying it was just foolish lusty teenagers. Before she knew it, the class was over and Lucy was walking with Levy to their shared second period.

"I mean, sure they could have started to fall in love, but the whole play takes place in like a week. In said week, six people die and two families lives are ruined. Romeo was just depressed after Rosaline didn't put out, so he latched on to a young girl to fill his heart. Pure lust, no love really." Lucy argued. Her and Levy had been arguing the whole way to Calculus. Lucy wasn't watching where she was going, and right before Levy could warn her, she slammed into someone, causing her notebooks to spill everywhere in the most clichéd way possible.

"Ah, I'm sorry! I wasn't watching where I was going—" Lucy started, but froze when she realized she had bumped into Natsu again. "Pinky…"she whispered. Lucy saw Natsu's eye twitch at her comment.

"You. I need to talk to you," Natsu said. He dragged her off down the main hallway and into an empty classroom.

"What the hell?" Lucy exclaimed. Natsu turned around to face her with his muscled arms crossed.

"Why did you call me Pinky?" He demanded. Lucy's mouth dropped open, and she quickly closed it. That's what he was angry about? Her nickname for him? Lucy started to laugh uncontrollably, and soon she was leaning against a desk for support. She wiped a tear from her eye and looked over at Natsu, who didn't look amused.

"In case you haven't noticed, you hair is pink. I didn't know your name, so I gave you one. Plus, you're mad about _that?_" She giggled. Natsu blushed and he stepped up into Lucy's face.

"That plus the fact that ya stopped me from fighting ice princess. And I got put into a stupid class, and I got detention from the old man." He grumbled. Lucy smiled. "Well, I'm sorry about that, but how bout I introduce myself, properly. I'm Lucy. Nice to meet you, Natsu!"

"Yeah, yeah, nice to meet ya. But in order for you to repay me for the detentions, you have to go to the detentions with me. Seventh period, I'll be waiting. Just meet me where ya bumped into me before." Natsu said before opening the door and leaving the classroom.

"Eh…EHHHHHH?" Lucy screamed.

**Yay! New story! It's gonna be a drawn out thing i hope...so look out for more updates! High school au's are always fun. DISCLAIMER- I sadly do not own Fairy Tail, that honor goes to Hiro Mashima. My awesome Beta is tumblr user rivendell101**


	2. A Unique Detention

**A/N: Hey! Super sorry for the late update, but I was away on vacation for two whole weeks! Without my laptop. Anyway, sorry for the wait! I hope you enjoy the chapter!**

**Just proofread, my beta (tumblr user rivendell101) hasn't gotten back to me yet, but I really want to update after such a long wait! **

CHAPTER 2- A Unique Detention

Lucy spent the majority of her day catching up with her classes, and moping. She intended to do as Natsu said- he didn't seem like someone who liked to be ignored. After his declaration in the classroom, she had wandered in her calculus class like a zombie. Levy had squeezed the information out of her somehow, and had tried to comfort Lucy. At lunch, Lucy had glared at Natsu, who was eating like he was a starved man finding food for the first time in weeks. Lucy scowled and muttered angrily into her turkey sandwich. Levy was explaining the hierarchy at the school, and Lucy was only half-listening.

"So the senior Laxus is the headmasters grandson, plus he's kind of a delinquent. And there's always these three people following him around, like a gang, maybe a cult. They act like a cult. But Erza is the one you have to look out for. She's totally badass, and the only one besides the Headmaster, who can stop Natsu and Gray from brawling. Sometimes she joins in and makes matters worse, but that's happened less often now." Levy stopped talking so she could take a bite of chicken from her salad. Before she could continue, however, two dudes sat down on either side of her.

"Hey Levy, how was your morning?" The one on her left asked. He had orange hair and a brown jacket with cream-colored fur lining the sleeve and opening.

"I was going to ask that, Jet!" The second one said. He had black hair and some of it was sticking straight up in the back. Levy laughed and introduced Lucy to her friends Jet and Droy. "Oh. So you're the one who got Natsu in trouble, huh." Jet nodded sympathetically.

"Yeah, I guess so. But do I really have to go to detention with him? I wanted to go ask the soccer coach when tryouts were." Lucy whined.

"You play soccer Lucy?" Levy asked.

"Yeah. I first started back when I was living in England. I've played in Europe and everywhere else I've lived the past few years." Lucy replied with a laugh. Droy started chuckling. Lucy gave him a questioning stare. "Its funny cause Natsu is the star of the men's soccer team here." He explained.

Lucy groaned and slammed her head on the table. She peeked back at Natsu, who was still eating. How could one person eat that much? Natsu's gaze suddenly met hers, and he smiled with a mouth full of food. Lucy blushed and looked away. Why on earth was he smiling at her like that? She picked at her lunch and listened to Jet and Droy talking to Levy. Lucy looked over at her class schedule again. She felt a burst of energy when she realized her next class was creative writing. Lucy loved to write, but she never showed her writing to anyone because it made her feel self-conscious. Lucy had dreams of one day publishing a book or two, so she wrote in her spare time. Lucy excused herself from the table and started heading to her class early to avoid another fiasco like that morning. Most of the students were eating lunch, so the halls were quiet and empty. Lucy hummed to herself while walking to G Hall. She looked at her paper again and noticed that her creative writing class was in the same classroom as her English class. Lucy was about to start walking again when a big hand reached over her shoulder and grabbed the paper.

'Hey!" Lucy protested. She turned around to see the stripping guy from before.

"You're the stripper!" She exclaimed.

"I- I'm not exactly sure how to respond to that,"

"Sorry, I just don't know your name." Lucy said with a laugh.

"I'm Gray. You're Lucy, the new girl." Lucy cringed at his label.

"Yeah. Um, can I have my schedule back? I kind of need it." She asked. Gray looked down at the paper, then handed it back. "We have chemistry together." He stated with a wink. Lucy smiled and blushed. Now that she actually saw him up close, Gray was _really_ attractive.

"_Master Gray…why do you do this to Juvia…is this to be my new love rival?"_ A whisper floated through the halls. Lucy looked around for the source of the voice and saw a blue haired woman hiding behind the staircase. She was gazing intently at Gray, who was purposefully ignoring her.

"Um, Gray? Who's that?"

"Just ignore her. There's nothing to be done about her." Gray muttered darkly. Lucy looked between Gray and the creepy blue haired girl. This school has some weirdos.

"Ice Princess! We still have a fight to finish!" Natsu's voice echoed through the hall. Lucy turned around to see Natsu running toward them and wiping away crumbs from his huge lunch.

"I'm trying to have a pleasant conversation, you hot head!" Gray yelled back. Natsu scowled and stopped running just in time to avoid colliding with either Gray or Lucy.

"You're coming to detention, right? I wouldn't want you to skip out on me." Natsu said with a super bright smile. Lucy shivered. The smile was _too _bright, as if he was trying to intimidate her.

"O-of course. Wouldn't miss it for the world." Lucy replied. Gray looked between them in confusion.

"Wait, so you're making her go to detention with you? What kind of asshole are you?"

"Shut it, Ice Princess. It's none of your business." Natsu retorted. Gray looked like he was about to snap back, with either words or his fists.

"Um, Natsu? You're on the soccer team, right?" Lucy asked, eager to avoid a fight. Both Gray and Natsu looked over at her.

"I am." Both of them said simultaneously. They glared at each other, and Lucy spoke before another fight broke out.

"Um, I was wondering if you knew when tryouts were for the girls team." Lucy looked between the two, who were studying her closely. "Guys?" She asked nervously. Did she have something on her face?

"Tryouts for all teams are in a couple weeks. Right after Halloween." Gray answered. Natsu was still looking at Lucy quizzically.

"You play soccer?" Natsu asked.

"She obviously does, nitwit, why else would she ask?" Gray growled. Surprisingly, Natsu ignored him. Natsu clapped his hands together and smiled devilishly.

"I've decided! We're not going to detention today. Instead, you're gonna join me and some friends in a game." Natsu declared.

"What? Isn't detention required, don't you have to go?" Lucy was shocked. Here he was, after making a huge deal so Lucy would go with him to detention, deciding spur of the moment to skip.

"Oi, hot head, you can't just invite random people you just met. The whole group has to approve."

"I think she should come, so she will."

"U-um, do I get a say in this? I mean I am a real person." Lucy interjected. The two looked down at her as if noticing her presence for the first time.

"Right. It's decided. You're gonna come with me to a practice match, or would you rather go to detention?" Natsu said with a smirk. _That stupid…_ Lucy thought. She scowled, but didn't refuse his offer. Natsu smiled.

"By the way, where're you goin' next, Lucy?" He asked.

"Creative writing. Which reminds me, I better get going. Don't want to be late. Again. Because you two idiots couldn't keep your hands off each other." Lucy said with a smirk. She spun towards G Hall and walked away.

"I think I like this girl." Gray laughed. Natsu brushed past him, knocking into his shoulder.

"Watch it, ice princess." He glowered. Gray had a feeling he was talking about more than the bump.

"Lucy! Over here!" A voice called. Lucy looked around and saw Levy sitting in the same seat as last time. Lucy joined her and sat in the same seat she had that morning. Levy was the only person, besides Lucy, in the classroom. There were still a few minutes left before lunch ended, so everyone was eating and hanging out with friends while they could.

"You will not believe what just happened." Lucy sighed. Levy sat on the edge of her seat expectantly while Lucy recanted what happened with Gray and Natsu.

"Seems like you really made an impression on those two." Levy giggled.

"No. I didn't, they just happened to be there. Coincidence."

"Maybe, but I don't think Natsu has ever invited someone he forced to attend detention with to skip out and go to a soccer game before."

"Levy, I don't think that has ever happened to anyone. Ever." Lucy retorted. A bell sounded throughout the school and students started wandering through the hallway.

"Here, Laxus. Let me get the door for you." A muffled voice exclaimed from behind the door. Lucy looked over to see an eager green haired man opening the door to let in a very muscular blond inside.

"Freed! I wanted to open the door this time." A female voice whined.

"Hahaha. Tough luck, Evergreen." A voice boomed. Behind Laxus and Freed a busty dirty blonde and blue haired man stood. Laxus ignored the trio and walked down to a seat right behind Lucy. He had a lightning shaped scar on his right eye. _What weird names._ Lucy thought. Freed and Evergreen both rushed over to sit on either side of Laxus, and the blue haired man sauntered over to the seat behind him. He had sunglasses on, which Lucy thought was bizarre since they were inside.

"Lucy. Those are the people I was talking about earlier. The cult." Levy whispered.

"I can see why," Lucy muttered.

"So can I. They can be a bit much sometimes." A deep voice whispered. Lucy squealed and spun around to see Laxus smirking. What was with the guys at this school?

"Sorry."

"No problem. You're the new girl who fought Natsu." He stated. Lucy groaned. Fight Natsu? As if.

"Actually, I just bumped into him. And the name's Lucy."

"Sorry. Small school, news travels fast." He said.

"And gets exaggerated too." Lucy sighed. At this point, the trio had noticed Laxus talking to someone else, and quickly grabbed his attention again.

"Wow. You're like a hot guy magnet, Lucy." Levy said. Lucy sputtered and flustered around. The double bell warning that class was about to start rang and Lucy quieted down. Bisca walked into the class and just sat down at her desk. Lucy looked around to see the small class quietly working. Some were listening to music with headphones, others looked outside dazedly. Lucy got up and walked over to Bisca to ask what her assignment was.

"Lucy, in this class, it's more about the writing experience than about essays and research. Sure, you have a few tests on grammar etcetera, but mainly you just write a short story or turn in parts of a novel for grades. All we do is write." Bisca explained. Lucy marveled at the idea of such a laid back class. She always wanted a whole class just to write, and here it was. She quickly went back to her desk to start writing. Soon, she had a few rough pages and an outline for a short story. The class passed by in a blur, and soon the bell was ringing. Lucy jumped in her seat, startled by the noise after concentrating for so long. She quickly packed her things and hustled out with Levy to chemistry.

"Beware Ms. P. She can sometimes be a little…intense." Levy said with a frown. She abandoned Lucy at the door to sit at a tall long black table with another student. Instead of desks, there were rows of black lab tables with two students sitting on stools at each. Lucy saw Gray in the back sitting as far away as he could from the creepy girl from before, who was muttering about love and scooting her chair closer to Gray with every word. Levy was sitting at the table in front of Gray with a dark longhaired man. He had iron piercings along his nose and eyebrows. The only empty seat was next to…

"Oh no." Lucy groaned. Natsu sat alone at a table diagonally before Gray's and to the left of Levy. Lucy walked over to the front where a silver haired woman sat.

"Excuse me? I'm Lucy, and I'm new. Where do I sit?" She asked. The woman looked up after a pause and glowered.

"Can't you see the empty seat?" She growled.

"Y-yes, but-"

"Just go sit there! You'll need this." She dropped a large three-folder notebook onto the desk and shooed Lucy away. Lucy slowly made her way to the table with a nervous glance at Levy, who had her nose stuffed in the huge notebook. She mentally braced herself, and placed her bag on the ground and hopped up onto the stool. Her feet almost touched the ground, but swayed a bit. Lucy frowned. She looked over at Natsu, who had both feet firmly planted on the ground. He hadn't noticed her yet, which was surprising. She dropped the notebook on the table and he jumped.

"Oi! Oh, it's just you. What're you doin' here?" He asked.

"This is my class." Lucy answered coolly.

"Cool! Now we're lab partners. I hope you're up to it." He smirked. These Fairy Tail boys sure seem to smirk a lot. It reminded her of one guy back in…no. Lucy would _not_ think of _him._ She ignored Natsu and focused on Ms. Porlyusica.

"We're entering our third unit, which is the beginnings of atoms. We'll learn about ions, how to calculate the mass of a compound, and many more fun things. If you'll open up your notebooks and take notes during the lecture," She droned on about differences in atoms and molecules, and Lucy sat there trying to decipher chemistry. She diligently wrote down everything the teacher said, but her brain did English, not chemistry. She peeked over at Natsu, who was propped up against his arm and scribbling down basic equations. At least he was taking notes. When the time came for practice examples, Lucy stared at her paper hoping the letters and numbers would magically rearrange themselves to form the answer.

"Having trouble?" A voice teased. Lucy glared at Natsu, who was still smirking.

"I can manage. Why don't you finish your own work." She said snarkily.

"Oh, I already finished. Easy peasy." Lucy's mouth dropped open, and she quickly closed it again.

"You actually understand all this?" She asked.

"Of course I do. My dad was a science nerd, so it just comes naturally." He shrugged. Lucy was too busy gaping at the fact that _Natsu_ knew more than she did to notice his use of _was _instead of _is._

"So, how're you supposed to do this?" Lucy said, tapping a problem with her pencil. Natsu glanced up at , who was still sitting at her desk. He leaned in and quietly explained how to solve the problem. Lucy was in awe at the fact that the pink haired, temper mental, athletic hot head was actually a closet science geek. His eyes lit up when he started getting into the inner working of the universe and how they translated into chemistry and what they were studying. Suddenly, a wrinkled hand slammed down on the table, startling both Lucy and Natsu. Glaring at the duo, was Ms. Porlyusica.

"If you're finished flirting and fooling around, I would like to get on with my lecture." Lucy blushed and muttered about how they weren't flirting, but Ms. P wasn't having any of it.

"If you're too stupid to understand, just fail the class. Don't waste my time by whispering around while I'm teaching. Didn't your mother teach you any manners? Or did she just leave you to your own foolish ways?" She yelled. Lucy sucked in a breath and looked down at the desk dejectedly.

"Yes ma'am. I'm sorry." She mumbled.

"Hey! You don't have to yell at her for not understanding your stupid teaching methods!" Natsu protested.

"It's fine Natsu. Just leave it."

"No, I think-" Natsu cut off when he saw Lucy's face. She looked like she was about to cry. She shook her head and then looked forward at the board. The room was silent, and Lucy could feel the stares. Porlyusica huffed and went back to lecturing. Lucy quietly took notes and avoided looking at Natsu. He kept glancing over at her, but she ignored him. When the bell rang, Lucy was the first out the door. Levy looked at Natsu, who shrugged and went off after her. Levy followed him, but was left behind in the crowded halls.

"Lucy! Lucy!" Natsu called. Lucy kept walking and looked down at her schedule to see where her next class was. Upper K Hall. She looked up for signs pointing to K Hall. She circled around, but saw no signs. She groaned and stamped her foot. A hand grabbed her shoulder, and Lucy spun to see Natsu looking at her with concern.

"What just happened? You okay?" He asked.

"It's nothing. Do you know where K Hall is?" She asked, trying to change the subject.

"I'm headed that way, so you can walk with me and tell me on the way." He said with his big smile. Lucy grumbled, but followed him. Her fingers stroked a golden locket at her neck anxiously.

"Do you wanna talk about what happened back there?" Natsu asked, watching her nervous movements.

"Nothing happened. I just remembered a few things I didn't want to." Lucy said. Natsu nodded. He knew what that was like. The two walked in silence down to the end of the school.

"My mother died a few years ago, and things haven't been peachy with my dad since. So, it's a bit of a sore subject, is all." Lucy said quietly after a while.

"My dad left seven years ago. Haven't seen him since. No mom- that I know of. It's just me and my cat Happy." Natsu said brightly. Lucy looked up at him and smiled. Natsu wasn't so bad.

"Anyway, do you know where upper K Hall is? I have a mythology class."

"So do I. I'll take ya there." Natsu said. Lucy nodded and the two sat next to each other in the class. There was a substitute, so the whole class just goofed around all period. Lucy spent some time working on her creative writing story, and also talked with Natsu about everyday things. She also doodled on the margins of her notebook. When Natsu tried to look, she shyly hid the papers. Just like her writing, Lucy was shy about her hobby for art. He helped catch her up on the two chemistry units she missed, and grumbled about having to go to class. When the class finished, Lucy headed towards the front of the school, but Natsu steered her over to the grass soccer field out the back. A bunch of boys milled around, stretching and warming up. Lucy saw Gray, Laxus and his cult, and the pierced guy that was with Levy in chemistry. Lucy started to back away when she saw the muscular, _very_ athletic team members, but Natsu held her firm.

"Welcome to your new detention! You'll be here for the next few weeks. If we like ya, that is." He said with a laugh.

**Woo! Thanks for reading! Reviews are welcome, sorry for any grammar mistakes. I made Natsu slightly smart because I think that anything having to do with Igneel would perk the guys interest. I hope he's not too out of character. Should have the next chapter up in a week, I hope!**


	3. Faster than Lightning

**Alright, I think my update days are gonna be Sunday's, so look out for new chapters then from now on. Sorry for any inaccuracies with my soccer, I haven't played in a while. R&amp;R!**

**(p.s. i don't own fairy tail)**

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Chapter 3- Faster than Lightning

"You've got to be kidding me!" Lucy exclaimed. How on earth was she supposed to survive? There even was a man more muscular than Laxus!

"Soccer is a MAN!" The super muscled guy exclaimed.

"Ignore Elfman. He's just an oaf. I'm the center, and since we're missing a right wingman, you'll be our right wingwoman." Natsu explained. Lucy was still wide eyed. She quickly sent a quick text to her chauffer to explain her situation, and ask him to come pick her up later.

"I haven't played in a while, and I think I'd much rather watch from the sidelines," Lucy tried to inch away, but Natsu held firm.

"No you don't. You'll be with me, Jet, Elfman, Laxus, Droy, Freed, Bixlow, Warren, Nab, and Reedus." Natsu pointed out the team members, but Lucy barely remembered each of them. She already knew some of her teammates, but they didn't seem to keen on conversation. Laxus was taking position in the goal, and warming up with Freed and Bixlow. He was really good. Gray was passing with the iron-studded man from before, and they were both really controlled. Lucy swallowed nervously.

"I'm getting all fired up!" Natsu hollered. Lucy steeled herself to her fate, and put her hair up into a ponytail. Some of the guys were staring at her and whispering.

"Natsu, I'm fine with doing this, but are the rest of these guys alright with it?" Lucy asked. She knew not to mess with a team's dynamics.

"It's fine." Natsu said while stretching. Lucy stretched with him, and was happy that she'd brought her gym shorts with her just in case tryouts were soon.

"Um, usually I play center midfield."

"That's pretty much the same as right wing, except you won't have much defensive work. Mostly offense." Natsu dragged Lucy over to where his team was warming up. They joined the line of people taking shots at the goal with Laxus blocking. Lucy gulped. She could do this. Laxus used his huge body to block, and seemed to rely on strength more than speed. Jellal got close to scoring, but Laxus quickly dived to the corner where the ball had gone and swiped it out of harms way. So he did have some speed. Soon it was Natsu's turn, and Lucy observed to build her strategy. Natsu cracked his knuckles and ran a few feet before slamming his foot into the ball. The ball sped through the air right for the upper right side of the goal. Laxus smirked and grabbed the fastball with one hand.

"Getting better, Natsu, but not good enough." Laxus said as he tossed the ball aside.

"Argh! I was so close!" Natsu protested loudly. Laxus laughed and Natsu went to the end of the line.

"Alright girly. Give me your best shot. I might consider going easy on you."

"If you went easy on me, I'd still score." Lucy retorted. Laxus raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. Lucy took a deep breath. All of the previous shots had been aimed up high, and were easily blocked. Lucy stepped back, then ran up and kicked the ball. It barely floated off the ground, but its speed rivaled the shot Natsu had made. Lucy held her breath as the ball skidded around Laxus' legs and into the net. Silence. Suddenly cheers burst out from all over the field. You'd think she'd scored the winning goal at a national tournament based on the noise.

"Woah! Lucy! That was awesome!"

"I've never seen _anyone_ score against Laxus first try!"

"It just bounced on the ground and flew into the net!" Voices congratulated her on her goal, but truthfully Lucy didn't think it was that big of a deal. She didn't really like the attention either, hence why she usually played a non-scoring position.

"I-It's not that big of a deal, guys, just beginners luck." She mumbled.

"Not that big of a deal? Even I can't score against Laxus!" Natsu screamed in frustration. He pushed his face into hers. Lucy couldn't help but notice his _proximity_. He glared at her, which contradicted the wide grin on his face.

"You gotta teach me how to do that!" He exclaimed. Lucy felt his hot breath against her lips and she blushed. She could only nod, her face turning red.

"Hey, why's your face red?" Natsu asked, still pressing into her personal space. He grabbed her face and tilted it around, as if looking for an injury. Was he really that dense?

"N-no reason! Just excited. Scoring, and all that." She stuttered. Lucy took a step back and backed into a broad hard chest. She stiffened and turned around to see Laxus. Well, his chest. Lucy was about a foot shorter than him. She looked up and smiled nervously.

"Um, I guess-" She began. "I haven't had someone score so easily against me before." Laxus interrupted.

"Well, it-" Lucy started again.

"That was a cool trick you did with the ball." Laxus said simply, after cutting her off _again_. Lucy's eye twitched.

"It's not like-"

"You'll have to do it again. This time I'll definitely block it." Laxus said proudly. Lucy's eye twitched again.

"It's not like it was _hard. _You were practically begging me to score with your lousy skills." Lucy growled. Laxus's rudeness had reached her last nerve. She heard Natsu laughing, and some of the other boys join in.

"You're really something, Luce." Natsu chuckled. His nickname for her made Lucy feel strangely warm and mushy inside. She felt her face heat up, again.

"What kind of nickname is that? I-it's pretty much the same as my name." Lucy stuttered.

"Yeah, well I think Luce suits you. Plus, since I'm your friend now I have to make stupid nicknames, right?" Natsu had his stupid (contagious) grin on his face, and Lucy couldn't help but smile too.

"W-well, it's not that hard. Anyway, isn't there a game to start?" She asked with a mischievous glint in her eye. Lucy was excited to play. An old itch had taken hold of her, and she would never be able to satisfy it unless she wore herself out running. Natsu grinned, and ordered everyone to get into positions. Lucy couldn't hold back the smile on her face when she took her position next to Natsu. His eyes bore into the other teams goalie with fierce determination. The goalie just stared back neutrally. He had blue hair and a strange tattoo over his eye, and Lucy vaguely remembered Natsu naming him Jellal.

"Luce, don't do that weird thing till I get a few shots in, ok?" Natsu ordered. Lucy agreed begrudgingly, but if she had the chance, she wouldn't obey Natsu just for his stupid pride. She didn't speak her opinion out loud, of course, but that didn't mean she wasn't serious. She had every intention of winning this game. The referee- some other student- blew the whistle and the game began. Lucy stayed to next to Natsu as he ran up to get the ball. She kept a good distance away, but not too far so he could pass to her if need be. Natsu battled with Gray for the ball, and deftly manuveured the ball away from the stripper. He ran down the field, with Lucy following him, and quickly passed over to Jet, who was speeding down on the other side of the field. Jet blew past the defense and created an opening to the goal. He passed over to Natsu who had his feet kicked out from under him by one of the defensive players. The ball went flying towards Lucy, who jumped into the air to head-butt it. The pain of having a soccer ball slam into her head was intense, but worth the looks of the guys when it soared through the goal. Jellal had been focusing on Natsu, and hadn't noticed until it was too late. Lucy squealed and clapped her hands.

"Looks like first goal goes to me, Natsu." Lucy teased with a smirk. She saw Natsu's eyes fill with competitive drive, and she knew that this wasn't just about winning anymore. It was about outdoing Natsu.

The game flew by with points scored on either side. Gray and his offense scored, then Natsu swiftly returned with another goal, putting their team in the lead. Lucy knew Laxus would have defended the goal, but Evergreen had been a little enthusiastic about her cheering…Lucy didn't know pom poms could be used that way. The middle of the game was a stalemate, with neither side scoring a goal. Lucy had to admit that the defense of the other team was tight, but she managed to fit in another goal when Natsu was distracted. Laxus and Jellal were both astounding goalies, but Lucy had to admit that the egotistical blond had more raw talent.

It was the last few minutes of the game, and Lucy's head was still pounding after head-butting the first goal. The score was three-two, and Gray's team was beating down on Lucy's teams defense. Lucy tried to help, but there wasn't much she could do as a center field man, for she had to be prepared if the ball crossed over to her offense. During the game, Gray had somehow lost his shirt, and Lucy had to stop him from taking his pants off multiple times. He really did have a stripping problem, but with his body Lucy wasn't complaining that much. While Lucy was tying her hair back up into her ponytail, Laxus had caught an attempted goal and he punted it down the field. Lucy didn't hesitate. She took off after the ball and could see Natsu doing the same out of the corner of her eye. The ball landed in front of Natsu, and since no one really expected such a reaction from Laxus, the defense was unfocused.

"Lucy!" Natsu yelled. He passed the ball over to her, and she deftly positioned herself to score, but some of the defense blocked her path.

"Natsu!" Lucy exclaimed. She passed the ball back to Natsu, who had an opening to score. Lucy heard a curse right before a pair of legs crashed into hers, knocking her off her feet. She turned to try and land on her back, but her ankle was trapped between the legs of Gray, her tackler. She heard a loud crack and then felt the cool grass as she slammed into the ground. Lucy winced as her ankle throbbed painfully. Having experienced sprains before, Lucy stood up and leaned on her good foot.

"Sorry Lucy, didn't mean to hit you so hard." Gray apologized. Lucy reached down to lend him a hand in getting up. "It's no problem. I've been hit harder."

"She heard Natsu's excited yells, and looked over to see Jellal slumped in the goal, the soccer ball rolling innocently into the net. The whistle blew, signaling the end of the game. Four-two, with Lucy's team the winners. In the end, Natsu and Lucy scored the same amount, but she was happy that they won even though she was drenched in sweat.

"Good job, Natsu! I can see why Levy called you the star of the soccer team." Lucy giggled. Lucy always felt an emotional high whenever she won something, and this game was no different.

"I know! You were great too, with the whoosh, and then the slam!" He gestured with his hands, showing what Lucy assumed to be their goals. Gray sulked away to join his team. He'd taken his shorts off in distress, and was walking around in his snowflake-covered boxers.

"We make a good team, huh Luce?" Natsu slapped her back, causing her to stumble. She yelped when her weight landed on her injured leg, but quickly covered it with a laugh.

"Did you get hurt?" Natsu asked, concern in his voice.

"It's nothing. I've had worse." She replied. Natsu wouldn't stop bugging her, however, and made her lean on him on her way back to her bag. Lucy's arm was curled around Natsu's waist, since he was too tall for her to lean on his shoulders. It wasn't the best crutch, but Natsu insisted. He almost tried to carry her, but Lucy adamantly refused, pink tinting her cheeks. Jet and Droy followed her across the field like lost puppies, asking repeatedly is she was okay, which she was.

"I'm _fine. _It's just a stupid sprain." Lucy said, exasperated. Natsu still hovered around her, nevertheless. Lucy sighed again, and sat down on the grass and grabbed her phone to tell her chauffeur to pick her up. While looking at her phone, she saw ten missed calls from her father. Lucy sucked in a breath.

"What's wrong, Luce? Is it the ankle? I can carry you home, if you-"

"I'm fine! Just leave me alone for a second, alright?" Lucy snapped. She saw Natsu's hurt expression and apologized.

"Sorry, it's just that my dad called, and he doesn't like it when I don't answer right away." She said shakily. Lucy hugged herself and her shoulders hunched. Natsu growled.

"Does he hurt you?" He muttered darkly. Lucy looked up in surprise. His eyebrows were furrowed and a scowl marred his face.

"What? No! Of course not! He'll just get angry and ground me or something." Lucy said reassuringly. Sure, he'd get angry and yell at her, but he'd never physically hurt her. Mentally and verbally, well that was another story.

"Natsu! Get over here and help clean up!" A voice called. Natsu stayed rooted to his spot. He crouched down slowly, his gaze never leaving hers. His hands gently stroked her ankle, and Lucy's breath hitched in pain. Natsu drew back, then his hands, which were bizarrely warm, were back on her injured ankle. It had turned purple and was swelling to the size of a tennis ball. Natsu's expression was blank, but Lucy could see the distress in his eyes.

"You should go to a doctor and get this checked out." He murmured. Lucy was about to tell him that her manor had its own private physician, but that would sound weird to anyone who wasn't a Heartfilia.

"It's fine, Natsu. My driv- my ride's on his way. He'll be here soon." Lucy saw Natsu tense, and wondered what had put him on edge.

"Your boyfriend?" He asked quietly.

"W-what? No! I-I don't have a boyfriend! Why would you even ask that!" Lucy exclaimed, her face flushing once again.

"Oh no reason! Anyway, stay put. I'll be right back." Natsu laughed. His hand rubbed the back of his neck, and he ran off to help clean up. Lucy huffed. What was it about this school?

"Miss Heartfilia? Do you require my assistance?" A voice asked quietly. Lucy relaxed at the familiar voice, and looked over to see her butler Phineas extending his hand.

"Yes. My ankle's sprained. Would you mind carrying my bag?" Lucy asked. She felt guilty about having Phineas help her, even though that was what he had been doing since her mother died.

"Of course, madam. That is my job." He replied smoothly. He swung her bag over his shoulder and helped Lucy up. Lucy tried to limp, but every time an ounce of weight landed on her ankle, pain shot up her leg. Hissing, Lucy braced herself and limped over to her car. She climbed in the back seat and sighed in relief. Her ankle still throbbed painfully, but now that she wasn't putting any weight on it, it wasn't so bad. She closed her eyes, and dreaded going to her home to face her father.

"Oi, Natsu. Lucy just left with an old dude in his car. She looked pretty hurt." Elfman said to his pink haired friend.

"What? I told her to stay put!" Natsu shouted. He ran over to the car, but it was already pulling away. He kept chase for a while, but gave up when it turned out of the school parking lot.

"That girl…" He sighed.

"Your father wishes to see you." Lucy's head maid said with a curtsy. Lucy limped towards her father's study, knowing he would want to see her right away no matter what. Her ankle was now a deep purple color and was at least the size of a tennis ball. Lucy knew she should really visit the physician, but she didn't want to anger her father any more. Servants would stop to bow when Lucy walked by, and offer their assistance. Lucy would politely decline, as always. She wasn't a useless damsel in distress.

"Father, I apologize for my tardiness. I was held up at school." Lucy said when she stumbled into her father's study. Jude Heartfilia was a large intimidating man. His blond hair was a few shades darker than Lucy's, and chocolate eyes a mirror of her own.

"Lucy, I am very disappointed in you. You couldn't even do one simple task. Go to school, and come home. Do you realize the problems you caused? I had an important business associate visit today, and he wanted to meet you." He glowered. His hands were crossed, and he glared at Lucy.

"I apologize for not realizing, father. Had I known-"

"You didn't need to know! I expect you to do as I wish, whether you know of it or not! Useless child, you can't do anything right." Lucy's fists clenched at her sides. How was she supposed to know about this meeting? She itched to lose control and scream back at her father, but she quelled the urge.

"Phineas tells me you were injured. I am glad it is only your ankle, and not something noticeable. You will be required to marry a suitable man that will benefit the business. You must look presentable." Jude admonished. Lucy felt like the air had been sucked out of the room. Forced to marry a man she barely knew? Let alone didn't love? Flashbacks of her mother telling her bedtime stories of princesses and princes who fell desperately in love flew through her mind.

"Leave my sight. I do not want to see you. Try to do something right, for once." Jude ordered with a wave of his hand, thoroughly dismissing the trembling girl. She slowly turned and limped out of the office. Lucy was stoic as the physician wrapped up her ankle. He'd splinted it, and advised her not to put any stress on it, or it might dislocate or break. When Lucy reached the privacy of her room, she crashed down onto the soft billowy pillows on her queen-sized bed and cried.

"Mama…why'd you leave me…" She sobbed.

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**Aww, poor Lucy. Anyway, thanks for reading, and next chapter there will be some Erza and Gajeel, plus more characters.**


	4. A Drawing of an Idiot

**You all have the right to hate me for such a late update. I got in my first car accident, and got my first job so everything's been a little hectic, but that's no excuse! Super sorry, but yay for chapter four! **

**Disclaimer: Sadly I do not own fairy tail, there would be lots of romance if I did.**

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CHAPTER 4

The next day at school, Lucy was withdrawn and quiet. She told Levy that it was just her injured ankle, but in truth, it was her father's hurtful words. Lucy was just fiddling with the food on her plate during lunch when an excited voice called her name.

"Lucy! Hey!" Natsu ran over and stopped at her table. "Scoot over."

"What do you-oi!" Lucy exclaimed as Natsu pushed her down the bench to make room for him on the end. She grabbed her lunch and moved it down with her.

"Natsu! You could've just sat down on the other side." Lucy whined. Natsu just grinned and reached for her food. Lucy smacked his hand away and glared.

"How's your ankle?" Natsu asked with a smile.

"Fine. I'm not supposed to put too much stress on it though, or it could break."

"Really? Why don't you let me carry you then?"

"Idiot! You don't just carry random girls!" Lucy blushed at the thought of being carried in Natsu's muscular arms.

"But you're not just a random girl, Luce. You're my best friend!" Natsu said, reaching for her food again.

"S-stupid! We barely know each other! And stop trying to eat my food!" Lucy shouted. Natsu just gave her his wide grin. Lucy unconsciously smiled back, and couldn't help but lean in towards Natsu's strangely high body heat. Lucy heard a faint chuckle, and looked over to see Levy staring at the two.

"You guys _so_ like each other." She stated. Lucy spat out her drink and her face turned as pink as Natsu's hair.

"Of course we like each other, we're best friends!" Natsu pronounced simply. Lucy slammed her head against the table. He really was a dense idiot.

"Natsu, I mean _like like_, you know, like a couple." Levy explained slowly. Her hands formed a heart and Lucy reached out to rip her hands apart. Natsu was strangely quiet. Lucy looked over at him to see a pensive expression on his face.

"D'ya mean like Erza and Jellal?" He asked Levy, who nodded. His face pinked and he looked away, pulling his scarf up to cover his face.

"_What about me and Jellal?_" A voice muttered darkly. Lucy felt a menacing aura behind her, and slowly turned around to see a very angry red-headed woman.

"E-Erza? I was only talking about how y-you and Jellal are g-great athletes," Natsu said robotically. His face was as white as his ever-present scarf. Sweat dripped down his forehead, and Lucy wondered who the girl must be to elicit such a reaction from Natsu.

"Of course we are! T-there's nothing else." She nodded, her cheeks reddening.

"U-um, I don't think we've met? I'm Lucy." Lucy said, extending her hand. The girl shook it, practically squeezing the life out of Lucy's poor hand.

"Erza. I hear you are quite good at soccer." Erza said bluntly.

"Erm, I guess I'm alright." Lucy replied shyly.

"Luce, you're way better than alright! She's awesome, Erza!" Natsu cut in enthusiastically.

"I wouldn't say awesome, but I hurt my ankle yesterday, so I can't play for a while. Why do you ask?" Erza plopped down next to Lucy with a somber expression. She reached out slowly, and grabbed Lucy's strawberry pudding. Lucy would have protested, but Natsu and Levy shook their heads. Lucy got the feeling that Erza was not a woman to be messed with.

"I am in dire need of good players for this season. I'm the captain of the girl'sh shoccer team here, and I fink you'd be a good addition. Come to tryoutsh in a few weeksh." Erza announced while shoving her face full of pudding. She rose just as quickly as she had sat, and turned to leave mumbling something about strawberry cake was the better.

"Oh, and Lucy? Don't hurt your ankle even more. I-_we_ need to win every game this season." Erza said darkly. Lucy shivered and nodded. Erza really was scary. Lucy reached for her sandwich, but felt only empty air. Confused, she turned to Levy, who pointed at Natsu. Natsu had his mouth full, and in his hand he held the last bite of her sandwich.

"Natsu…YOU BASTARD!" Lucy dove for the remnants of her sandwich, but Natsu quickly shoved them into his mouth. Lucy wrapped her hands around his neck while chanting, "Spit it out!"

"Owww," Lucy moaned. Lucy was leaning on Levy's shoulder, limping down to her next class.

"It's your own fault for trying to kick Natsu with your injured foot." Levy sighed.

"But he ate my lunch! I have to go watch the game since it's my 'detention' and I'm going to starve." Lucy whined. After Lucy tried, and failed, to kick Natsu, he'd hovered protectively around her for the rest of lunch. He tried to carry her to her next class, but Lucy had practically jumped out of his arms. She did notice that he was very warm and _very_ fit. Lucy felt her face heat up at the memory. Creative writing passed without incident, since a certain pink haired boy wasn't around, and Lucy was back in a good mood by the time she got to chemistry. Lucy sat down at her seat, relieved to rest her aching foot. Natsu looked at her sheepishly through his scarf.

"I'm not mad anymore." Lucy said.

"Are you sure?" Natsu asked, his voice muffled by the scarf.

"I'm sure." She replied. Natsu smiled, and went back to being his usual hyperactive self. Lucy kept quiet during Ms. Porlyusica's lecture, and kept shushing Natsu whenever he tried to help. She didn't want a repeat of last class. The lecture ended with some extra time left in class, and Ms. Porlyusica gave them permission to talk.

"Luce, d'ya want my help now?" Natsu asked, for the thousandth time.

"I'm good, I understood this lesson." Lucy said, for the thousandth time.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure."

"Super sure?"

"Extra sure."

"Are you _sure _your sure?"

"Yes Natsu. I'm sure." Lucy said exasperated. Natsu was pouting and looking at her with puppy dog eyes. He was adorable, but Lucy would never tell him that.

"_Sure_ you're sure you're sure?" He asked, scooting closer to Lucy at every word.

"Natsu! I'm not totally incompetent! Why do you ask so much?" Lucy asked, annoyed.

"I like teaching you. It's fun. You actually listen." Natsu said softly. His face pinked, and he inched closer to Lucy.

"I-I, you- what?" Lucy said, flustered at his proximity. His nose was inches away from hers. Lucy couldn't help but glance down at his lips, and was very tempted to close the space between them.

"Oi, lovebirds." A gravelly voice interrupted. Lucy jerked away from Natsu, her face red.

"W-we are not lovebirds!" She exclaimed. The pierced guy from before was staring intently at Natsu.

"What do you want Gajeel?" Natsu asked.

"I can't come to the match today. Got other stuff to do." Gajeel said gruffly. Hid gaze flitted back to Levy, who was staring intently at her notebook, obviously listening in on their conversation.

"Good. Now we'll have even teams, even if we're a member short." Natsu said happily. Nothing seemed to dampen his mood. Gajeel huffed and returned to his seat.

"Sorry that I can't play." Lucy said, a pout on her face. She'd had so much fun yesterday with Natsu.

"That's no problem. Now I can show off my amazing soccer skills for a cute girl." Natsu laughed. Before Lucy could respond, a black haired head poked up onto the lab table.

"What soccer skills, not like you have any." Gray said. Gray maneuvered over so he was hidden between Natsu and Lucy.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, ice princess?" Natsu said hotly.

"I'm hiding from Juvia. She's relentless." Gray whispered. His face was pale, and he looked around nervously.

"Is Juvia the girl I saw before?" Lucy asked.

"Yes. She's obsessed. I can't get rid of her." Gray muttered. He whipped his shirt off in agitation.

"Gray, stop stripping." Natsu smacked Gray upside the head, eliciting a growled retort from the shirtless stripper. Gray slipped his shirt back on, but after hearing Juvia chanting his name, the shirt was soon off again.

"Go somewhere else!" Natsu said, pushing Gray out towards Gajeel and Levy. Gray dashed over to the cover of another table, unbuttoning his pants.

"Natsu? Should we tell him?" Lucy asked.

"He'll figure it out eventually."

"Natsu, why do you call Gray ice princess?" Lucy asked. She'd been wondering how Gray had earned his nickname since she first heard it.

"Well, the cold never bothers him. He could go around naked in the winter and not be bothered." Natsu explained. Lucy looked over at Gray, who was dragging Juvia across the floor- the girl had a death grip on Gray's leg. Lucy was about to ask about the princess part, but the bell rang before she could. Lucy grabbed her bag, and right as she was starting to leave, arms grabbed her and lifted her bridal style.

"Wha-" Lucy exclaimed. Natsu had grabbed her and held her tight against him. He ran through the crowd in the halls, earning a few strange looks, and set Lucy down by her desk in Mythology. Lucy couldn't help but miss the way his arms felt against her.

"What do you think you're doing?" She yelled.

"Wasn't it obvious. I was carrying you, ya weirdo." Natsu smiled. "You should sit down, you don't wanna hurt your ankle more."

Lucy grumbled, but sat down. Natsu had smelled like smoke and cinnamon, and his warm body felt nice against hers. Lucy blushed at the thought of how his body could be pressed against her in different situations.

"What's wrong with your face? Why's it all red?" Natsu asked. He brushed her bangs back and held his hand against her forehead.

"You don't feel warm," He murmured.

"That's cause you have a freakish body temperature."

"Really? I guess, but it's like my hair, just a weird thing." Natsu said with his characteristic smile. Lucy looked away. Why was he so adorable? It wasn't fair.

"Hello, I'm your substitute, Mr. Corinth. Just don't be loud and annoying." A man said from behind the desk. He was slumped in the seat, a book on his lap.

"Another sub?" Lucy wondered who and where the actual teacher was. At least she had some time to work on her story. Lucy quietly worked on other homework, and was surprised at Natsu's quiet behavior. About halfway through the class, she looked over to see Natsu's head lying on his desk, his eyes closed. He had fallen asleep, and Lucy hadn't even noticed. He looked peaceful in slumber, his features relaxed. One could really see how handsome he actually was when he wasn't constantly in motion. Lucy's fingers itched to draw him. She opened up to a blank page in her notebook. She would _not_ draw a sleeping Natsu. She refused. Grumbling, Lucy looked down to see that her hand had already sketched out the contours of his face. Giving in to temptation, Lucy drew.

By the time the bell rang, Lucy had hidden away her drawing and was waiting for Natsu to awaken.

"Wha- where," Natsu mumbled with a yawn. He stretched his arms above his head and Lucy could hear the bones creak.

"I can't believe you slept through the whole class."

"I was tired." Natsu said simply. He reached out to carry Lucy again, but she danced out of his grip.

"I can walk." She said stubbornly. Natsu pouted. The two slowly made their way to the soccer field.

"You know, you're kinda cute when you're sleeping." Lucy blurted. A blush warmed her cheeks. What on earth had made her say that?

"I'm not _cute,_ I'm handsome. Manly." Natsu protested, puffing out his chest.

"Hmm, I don't see manly. I just see an adorable little boy." Lucy teased.

"Oi! I'm manly! D'you see these muscles?" Natsu flexed. Lucy had to admit that they were quite impressive, but she instead said, "Still not manly."

Natsu growled and yanked his shirt off, revealing a stunning physique. Lucy gulped and tried-and failed- to not ogle at his chest.

"A-are you turning into Gray? Put your shirt back on!"

"Why? You like what you see." Natsu said, striking a pose.

"S-stop!" Lucy said, limping away from him. Natsu followed her, striking random poses.

"What's the matter Lucy?" He asked with faked innocence. With Natsu posing ridiculously, Lucy couldn't stop the laugh that bubbled out of her. Natsu eventually had her cornered against a wall, and Lucy was still laughing. She held her hands out to stop his advance. Her hands pressed against his warm chest- his warm _hard_ chest. She drew back, mumbling an apology. They fell silent. Lucy barely had control of her body, which desperately wanted to run her hands up and down Natsu's warm muscular chest. Natsu was inches away from molding his body to hers. He leaned on the wall with his arms on either side of Lucy, cornering her against the wall. Natsu leaned down and pressed his forehead against hers. Lucy could feel her pulse pounding, and hoped it wasn't loud enough for Natsu to hear.

"Luce, you're driving me crazy." He whispered, suddenly serious. Lucy didn't know how to respond and before she had the chance, Natsu stepped away and pulled his shirt back on.

"Let's go, we don't wanna be late!" He said cheerfully. Lucy blinked. Had she imagined the last minute? Natsu acted as if nothing had happened and gone back to his normal hyper self. Lucy followed Natsu in a daze, her mind replaying the last minute on repeat in her mind. They reached the soccer field, and Natsu immediately abandoned Lucy by the edge of the field to go warm up.

"Stupid…boys…why do I even…" Lucy grumbled. She rustled around in her bag for something to do, and eventually brought out the notebook with the sketch of Natsu. As frustrated as Lucy was, she couldn't help but continue her drawing. Lucy would look up every once and a while to see the boys running around and playing with palpable passion. Natsu was like an unstoppable flame, burning through his enemies and lighting up everything around him. Having missed the first part of the game due to her focus on the sketch, Lucy was unsure who was winning.

Natsu kept glancing over at the blonde sitting at the edge of the field. She looked graceful even though she was sprawled out on the grass. He recalled what happened in the hallway, anger bubbling up inside him. What was she doing to him? Natsu wanted to be near her always and when she smiled a strange feeling filled his chest. He'd never felt anything like it before. Now Natsu knew he was pretty dense when it came to lovey dovey things, but he knew how Lucy's body made him feel. He was a teenager after all, but it wasn't just Lucy's sexy body that drove him crazy and that blind spot on his emotional radar drove him insane. Natsu was so distracted by his confused feelings that he barely knew what was going on in the game.

The game ended in a tie. The players were exhausted and didn't feel like playing any longer, so they begrudgingly finished their scrimmage and cleaned up all the sports equipment. Lucy wasn't paying attention to the people around her when she felt a presence behind her. She whirled around to see Natsu looking at a piece of paper.

"Is this really what I look like?" He asked. Lucy froze. It was _that_ paper. The one with her drawing of Natsu. Lucy squealed and jumped up to grab it from his hands.

"Give it back!" She exclaimed. Her attempts were feeble at best for she had to hop around on one foot to avoid injuring herself further.

"I wanna keep it." Natsu whined, holding the paper high above her head. Lucy cursed her short stature and stopped reaching for the paper.

"Why on earth would you want to keep it?" She asked incredulously.

"Do you wanna keep it? So you can gaze at my handsome face whenever you want?" He teased. The fact that Lucy had drawn him made Natsu feel strangely happy.

"Who would even want to look at your annoying face!" Lucy pouted. Her face was flushed with embarrassment and anger, and her foot ached. "You can keep it. It doesn't matter."

"Really? Oi! Everyone! Look what Luce did! Ain't she amazing?" Natsu called. Soon the whole team was gathered around the paper and commenting on her skills. Lucy was tomato red and she limped away from the chatting group. She grabbed her things and sat on the curb by the parking lot to wait for Phineas.

"Natsu's a dense idiot, so don't blame him if he takes a while." A deep voice said from behind Lucy. She turned to see Jellal standing behind her.

"What do you mean?" She asked. Jellal just gave her a knowing look.

"You'll see. Maybe you're just as dense as he is." He stated. Lucy blushed in response.

"What about you and Erza, huh?" She countered. Jellal's face turned pink and he looked away.

"Touche." He mumbled as he walked away. Lucy sighed. Why did she have to start falling for the most idiotic pink haired student on the planet?

* * *

**Is Lucy becoming aware of her feelings? Natsu learning what love is? Reviews are always welcome, and feel free to leave some criticism!**


	5. Maybe a Dance?

**Sorry for taking so long, I had some writers block, but all is well. This chapter does have some abusive themes, so be warned. Don't worry! All will be fine, and more NaLu will happen! Thanks for reading!**

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CHAPTER 5

The week went by in a flash, and soon Friday was already upon the students of Fairy Tail High. Lucy had rested her ankle enough that the swelling went down but she could still barely walk. Lucy spent her evenings finishing up homework while watching intense soccer scrimmages. Levy ended up joining Lucy on the sidelines, her eyes drifting towards a certain black haired, pierced student. Natsu officially sat with Lucy during lunch, and she had to pack a snack for him so she had a chance to eat her own food.

"Lucy, the Halloween Ball is in a couple of weeks, what are you going to go as?" Levy asked Lucy during their English class.

"Hmm? Oh, I wasn't planning on going." Lucy replied.

"Eh? You have to go! There's a fair before, and a costume contest, it's going to be epic!" Levy protested.

"I don't feel like it, besides, it's no fun to go to a dance alone. You have Gajeel, Erza has Jellal and I don't have anybody."

"I-I don't have Gajeel… what makes you think that…" Levy said with a blush. "What about Natsu? Could you go with him?"

"N-Natsu? No, he's just a friend." Lucy flailed. Pink tinted her cheeks at the thought of Natsu being romantic and inviting her to a dance.

"Uh huh, sure. Anyway, you're gonna go and wear an amazing costume and blow him away." Levy said with determination. Lucy knew better than to try and stop Levy once she was set on something.

"…an angel, and I'll be a princess. I think Erza is going as a warrior again, and Juvia was thinking of being a mermaid." Levy rambled.

"Yup. Definitely." Lucy mumbled. She wasn't really paying attention to what Levy was babbling on about, so she just smiled and agreed with what she was saying. Soon Lucy's thoughts drifted towards the ball. She had to admit that she wanted to go, even if it was just with friends. Dressing up and having a good time, it sounded really fun to Lucy. Levy chatted on and on about the ball, and how it was one of the best events thrown by the school.

"There's the fair, the day before, and it has all the games and haunted houses. There's even a ferris wheel! I can't wait!" Levy squealed. The more she talked, the more excited Lucy became. Now she was happily planning and fantasizing with Levy about the Halloween Ball. The two were still chatting when lunch came around, and Lucy barely noticed Natsu's attempts to steal her lunch.

"Hey, Lucy. Luuuuucyyy." Natsu whined. He wanted her to pay attention to him, but she was too busy talking about the stupid dance with Levy. Natsu didn't see what all the fuss was about with the festival. You just played games, went to the haunted house a bunch, and ate food. Natsu scooted closer to Lucy, trying to get her attention.

"I wish someone would ask me to the dance though." Lucy said with a sigh. She and Levy had decided on costumes- angel for Lucy, Princess Belle for Levy, and they were going to go out shopping that weekend for costumes.

"Why? It's just a stupid dance. Not even fun." Natsu complained.

"It's romantic! Dancing with a special someone under the moonlight, sharing your first kiss. It's just so," Lucy said with a sigh of longing.

"Why would someone wanna do that?" Natsu asked bluntly.

"Well, when you like someone, like _really like_, you want to spend time with them and kiss them. You know, like boyfriend and girlfriend kind of stuff." Lucy said with a blush. She couldn't believe she was explaining love to Natsu. Didn't he know anything?

"So, when ya see this person, your stomach feels strange? And when they smile you just wanna hold em tight and be with em?" Natsu asked, a strange look on his face.

"Yea, I guess. Do you like someone Natsu?" Lucy asked curiously. She leaned in closer to him to gauge his reaction.

"M-maybe." He mumbled.

"Oh my gosh! Natsu! Tell me who! Who?" Levy exclaimed. She badgered the blushing boy, who ignored her prying questions.

"Levy, what about Gajeel? Has he asked you to the dance yet?" Lucy asked, trying to draw her attention away from poor Natsu.

"We-we're not, i-it's just- shut up!" Levy flustered. She grabbed a book out from her bag and immediately hid behind it.

"Thanks Luce." Natsu said.

"No problem, I'm the one who pried into your personal life." Lucy said apologetically.

"You weren't prying. You're my personal life. We're best friends, Luce. You're special." Natsu said with a shy smile. Lucy felt her face blush bright red.

"O-oh. Well, you're special to me too." She blurted. The two sat awkwardly, both blushing furiously.

"A-anyway, what's your costume going to be?" Lucy asked, desperate to change the subject.

"I don't usually dress up." Natsu said with a shrug.

"You have to! All of us are going to dress in a costume! I'm going to be an angel-"

"You're already an angel. Why dress up?" Natsu asked. Lucy sucked in a breath.

"I-idiot. You don't just go around saying that kind of thing." Lucy said. Her heart was beating so loud she wondered if the entire cafeteria could hear it.

"Why not? It's true. I think you're an angel." He said simply. Lucy stuttered. Her heart felt like it was exploding and she wondered if Natsu knew the kind of effect he had on her. Luckily, the bell rang before Lucy had a chance to respond.

"Aww." Levy groaned. She was peeking out over her book to spy on the couple, and had been hoping for a declaration of love. The two were so obvious, it was a wonder there weren't any cartoon hearts floating around them when they were together. Levy couldn't wait to tell Gajeel what had happened. Thinking of Gajeel reminded her of the fact that he still had not asked her to go to the dance with him, despite the fact that they were dating.

Lucy and Natsu walked to their classes in silence. Natsu walked Lucy to her writing class as usual, and Lucy didn't get any work done in said class. Lucy's mind was racing at the possible implications of Natsu's words. _Could_ this thick- headed guy really have feelings for her? Part of Lucy sung hallelujah at the thought, but another part of her insisted he couldn't possibly have feelings for her. Natsu was going through the same internal struggle as Lucy, but he was torn between pushing her against the nearest surface and kissing her with all the passion he could muster or pretending nothing had happened between them. When they both arrived at chemistry, they barely talked to each other. The couple were deep in thought throughout their chemistry class, thinking more about the chemistry between themselves than in organic matter.

"Why does this have to be so complicated…it's like I'm taking another math class." Lucy groaned. Natsu's ears perked up at the sounds of her complaints.

"I can explain it if ya want." He whispered into her ear. Lucy shuddered at his close contact, and the fact that his deep voice sent pleasurable shivers down her spine. _Get yourself together! You are _not_ going to give in,_ Lucy thought to herself.

"Really? You wouldn't mind?" She whispered back. Her brown eyes met his onyx ones, and the entire class could see the sparks fly. "C-course not." Natsu stuttered, his mind blank after staring into Lucy's eyes for such an extended period of time.

"That would be awesome, but Ms. Porlyusica is still teaching," Lucy said dejectedly. She hated writing down what the woman said without comprehending the words.

"You can come to my house later, I'll tutor you." Natsu said quietly. Lucy could feel the blush starting to warm her cheeks at the thought of being alone with Natsu at his house. Alone. Just the two of them. "T-that would be fine."

Natsu just gave her his wide smile in return. Lucy turned her focus back to the lesson at hand, trying to grasp the basic rules of the universe. The class ended and Natsu and Lucy were back to talking like friends, the romantic tension between them momentarily forgotten. When they walked into Mythology, Lucy was surprised to see an actual teacher writing on the board.

"We finally have a teacher." Lucy said in surprise. The whole week was spent with subs, and Lucy was beginning to doubt there was an actual teacher meant to teach the class.

"Sit down already. I'm Macao, as you know. Let's get started." The dark haired man said after the bell rang. He started talking about the differences between Greek and Roman gods, and Lucy had to admit that the lecture was interesting and entertaining. The class flew by in a flash, and soon Lucy was limping towards the field when Natsu steered her in a different direction.

"Where are we going? Isn't there a game?" She asked.

"Course not. It's Friday. Besides, I said I'd tutor you." Natsu replied. Moments later they were standing in front of a questionable vehicle.

"No. No way am I riding that thing." Lucy said, trying to escape Natsu's grasp. He held her by the shoulders, and handed her one of two helmets hanging from the _motorcycle._

"Come on, it'll be fine." Natsu said, dropping the helmet on her head. "Fine? I"ve never ridden a motorcycle before, and it's not like you're the most cautious person in the world." Lucy said, panic bubbling up inside her.

"Aw, thanks so much Luce. It means a lot. Now get on the bike." He said sarcastically. Natsu swung one leg over the bike and sat down. Lucy sighed, but gave in to his persistent nagging. She mounted the bike, which had flames painted on the side. She heard Natsu mumble something, but she couldn't hear him over the roar of the motor.

"What?" Lucy asked.

"I said, hold on!" Natsu exclaimed. Lucy barely had time to wrap her arms around his waist before the bike tore forward and ripped out of the parking lot. Lucy squealed in surprise, and felt Natsu's rumbling laugh. Her arms squeezed his waist like a monkey gripping on to a tree limb for dear life. Once the initial shock wore off, Lucy had to admit that riding a motorcycle was pretty awesome. The world flew by in flashes of color, and Lucy felt strangely relaxed. She leaned into Natsu's warmth and rested her cheek against his back. Soon they arrived at an apartment complex and Natsu pulled into a parking spot.

"Oh my god! That was amazing!" Lucy exclaimed once she pulled the helmet off.

"I know. It's pretty awesome!" Natsu replied with just as much enthusiasm. Lucy jumped up and hugged Natsu, pulling him close to her. She felt his arms pull her closer and wrap around her waist. Lucy nuzzled into the crook of his neck, which she could barely reach even on her tip toes. Natsu lowered his head so that is was right in front of Lucy's when she pulled her head away. He smelled like cinnamon and smoke, and Lucy couldn't get enough of his scent. Natsu felt the same way about Lucy's strawberry scented hair. Lucy's gaze drifted down to Natsu's parted lips, and back up to meet his eyes. Lucy cleared her throat and pulled away. Natsu did the same and his hand rubbed the back of his neck.

"A-anyway, let's go inside." Natsu said, leading the way to his apartment. He finally realized how flawed his plan was. He didn't think he could manage being alone with Lucy without doing something stupid- he wasn't sure what, but he knew it would be stupid. When Lucy walked into Natsu's apartment, a blue furball plowed into her. Lucy's arms flew up to catch the ball of fur instinctively, and her hands closed around the body of a small blue cat.

"Oh, that's Happy, my cat." Natsu smiled. Lucy grinned at Natsu before turning her attention to the purring feline in her arms.

"He's blue!" Lucy exclaimed. The cat was actually bright blue, but since his owner had pink hair, Lucy wasn't too surprised.

"Yea, I found him a few years ago when he was just a newborn. His fur is naturally that color, so we're the same." Natsu said, his wide grin spreading to Lucy. Lucy stroked the soft fur and looked around at the apartment. It wasn't as messy as she would have thought, but it wasn't clean either. Dishes littered the kitchenette to her right, and Lucy could see various takeout boxes strewn around the living room in front of her. An old gray sofa sat across from a small flat screen TV.

"It's actually a nice place." Lucy said.

"Hey! Of course it is!" Natsu retorted. He'd thrown his bag on the floor and was rummaging around in his fridge for food. Lucy peeked over his shoulder to see some eggs, a tomato, and rotten leftovers.

"Alright. I'm going to help you clean this mess." Lucy said. She ducked under Natsu's outstretched arm holding the fridge open and warily grabbed the rotting leftovers. Wrinkling her nose in disgust, she looked around for a trashcan. She opened up the cabinet under the sink and saw a small bin filled with trash. Lucy dropped the leftovers in the trash and wiped her hands on her shorts. Turning back towards Natsu, she saw he was still staring into the fridge as if hoping a miracle would occur and food would magically appear.

"Do you have any pans?" Lucy asked with a sigh. Natsu turned around to face her, and pointed to a cabinet. Lucy opened the cabinet to find one small frying pan lying in the open space. Grabbing the pan, Lucy limped over to the stove and placed it on one of the two sections. Natsu was watching her from the fridge, still standing in front of it holding it open. Lucy reached around Natsu for the carton of eggs. Natsu finally moved when she went back to the stove with the eggs. He closed the fridge and hopped up onto the small counter space next to the stove. He watched her crack a few eggs and stir them around in the pan. Lucy hummed while she worked, trying to remember the last time she actually cooked for herself. Memories of a blonde woman laughing while throwing flour at a young Lucy filled Lucy's mind. Lucy forced herself to think of something other than her late mother.

"Alright! Scrambled eggs, coming right up!" Lucy forced herself to smile and she looked around for some bowls.

"Natsu, where are your bowls?" Lucy asked.

"All dirty." He said with a shrug. Lucy looked at him in disbelief.

"Plates?"

"Nope. Dirty."

"Cups?"

"Hmm. Maybe? I'm not sure." Natsu said. He opened up a few drawers then shook his head. Lucy sighed in exasperation. Tinges of hunger shot through her, and Lucy just used her hand to grab some eggs out of the pan and shoved them into her mouth.

"God, these are terrible." She said, gagging. Natsu grabbed a monstrous handful and shoved it into his mouth.

"Yea, these suck Lucy. You're a terrible cook." He said with a grimace. Lucy smacked his arm with a gasp.

"Not like I had much to work with." She grumbled. Natsu just rolled his eyes.

"Come on, let's get working." He said. Natsu jumped off the counter and led Lucy down a hallway across the living room. Lucy followed him slowly, the pain medication for her ankle beginning to wear off. Lucy didn't want Natsu to worry about her, so she kept quiet and tried not to limp. The flaw in her plan was that if she put too much weight on her ankle, sharp stabbing pain would shoot through her leg. Natsu opened up a door at the end of the hall and gestured for Lucy to enter.

"Sorry for the mess." He mumbled. Happy darted between Lucy's legs to jump onto the bed, which is when Lucy realized she was standing in Natsu's bedroom. A full sized bed lie unmade in the corner, and a small desk sat across from the bed. Lucy saw the door to his closet half open, and clothes littered the floor. Various papers were strewn across the room. The walls were blank except for a few soccer posters and one giant poster of a dragon. Lucy placed her bag down and sat next to Natsu on the floor.

"Right. Chemistry." Natsu said. He pulled out his notes and Lucy followed suit. Soon they were in deep discussion of the lesson, and Natsu kept spouting jokes that had Lucy laughing hysterically.

"No really! You should've seen his face!" Natsu said. Lucy was gasping for air on the floor, tears welling up in her eyes.

"No, no way." She said when she finally stopped laughing. Natsu chuckled. Lucy felt her phone buzzing in her pocket, and she dug around for it. When she pulled it out, she gulped. More missed messages from her father. Natsu sensed her change in attitude and asked what was wrong.

"Nothing. I'll be right back. Sorry," Lucy explained. She gave him a smile, but Lucy wasn't convincing anyone. Natsu gave her a worried look as she limped out into the hall. She called her father, holding her breath and praying for good news - which was as likely as Layla coming back from the dead.

"Lucy." Her father's voice said angrily.

"Hello father. Sorry I missed your call, I was at a tutoring session with a friend." She said, trying to sound collected and mature.

"You were supposed to be home. We have business to talk about. Come home immediately." He demanded.

"It's not that late, and I would like to stay a little longer if that's alright." Lucy said hesitantly.

"You will obey your fathers commands! You do as you are told and come home immediately!" Her father shouted. Lucy winced. She mumbled an agreement and hung up. Lucy sighed and leaned against the wall. Her phone said it was just after five, meaning Lucy had spent only two hours with Natsu. Who knew what her father wanted now. Lucy stalled out in the hallway, not wanting to end her evening with Natsu just yet. Lucy looked up to see Natsu holding her bag in his doorway.

"You have to leave?" He guessed. Lucy nodded. She grabbed her bag and thanked him for having him over.

"With your cooking, I might not invite you over again." Natsu teased, trying to cheer Lucy up. Lucy gave him a half smile and followed Natsu out to his motorcycle.

"Sorry for the trouble." She said as she got on behind him.

"No trouble at all." He said, his voice muffled by the helmet. Lucy clung to his waist as they started moving. Since he was dropping her off, he would see the big estate she called home. Lucy hoped he wouldn't ask too many questions or assume she was an arrogant rich kid. Natsu pulled up to the front gate and parked.

"This is?" He asked in awe.

"Yeah. Thanks for the ride. I had a great time today." Lucy said with a small smile.

"Me too. Hey, give me your phone." Natsu said, holding out his hand. Lucy warily handed her phone over and Natsu typed his number into her contacts.

"There. Text me, alright?" He gave her phone back and watched Lucy hobble into the estate.

"Were you riding on a motorcycle? Like some sort of delinquent? You have a duty to uphold this family's image! You can't be gallivanting around all you like!" Jude shouted. Lucy was once again standing before her father's desk, only this time he was standing in front of her.

"He's not a delinquent! And I don't care about our family image!" Lucy shouted back. She regretted the words once they left her mouth. Her father puffed out his chest. He drew his hand back and slapped Lucy across the face. Lucy stumbled, but did not fall. She touched her cheek in disbelief. Jude, despite being a total asshole, had never physically hurt Lucy.

"You are a disgrace to this family." Her father hissed. It was then that Lucy smelled the alcohol on his breath, and saw the half empty bottle of scotch on his desk. Fear filled Lucy's heart. Her father formed a fist with his hand and punched Lucy's stomach. Lucy choked and fell to her knees. Tears filled her eyes and she was too shocked to fight back against her drunken father. She fell to the ground, her head hitting one of the chairs. His foot slammed into her chest, and soon he was kicking her over and over again, screaming about her disgrace and how she should be grateful for such a wealthy family. Jude took out his frustrations on his cowering daughter, kicking her and screaming at her. Lucy lied on the ground trembling, shuddering under the power of each blow. Blood trickled down her forehead, her father's boots cutting into her skin.

"Get out of my sight." Jude spat. Lucy struggled to her feet and limped out of his study, her whole body throbbing. Lucy was panting by the time she reached her room, and she could barely hold herself up. She crumpled down on the floor after closing her door and the dam of her emotions burst. Tears streamed down her face, and pain throbbed through her entire body. Every time she breathed, her chest ached. After lying on the floor for what felt like hours, Lucy saw her phone light up with a random notification. She reached out and grabbed the phone, fingers trembling as she touched Natsu's name. The phone started ringing, and Lucy tried to muffle her sobs.

"Hey, it's Natsu." His voice calmed Lucy down enough so she could speak.

"N-Natsu?" She croaked.

"Lucy? What's wrong?" He asked, his voice immediately concerned.

"I-I need your help. M-my f-father he- he-" Lucy choked.

"I'm coming right now. Just hang on Lucy!" He said. Lucy could hear rustling and then the bang of a door slamming shut.

"N-no. You can't c-come. I don't want you to get h-hurt too." Lucy cried. She heard Natsu growl as he tried to speak through his anger. After a few moments, Lucy told him which room was hers so he could sneak in. Minutes later, Lucy heard her window open and she was grateful for the ivy trellis outside her walls.

"Lucy?" A voice whispered. Lucy just sniffled. She felt warm arms wrap around her, and she cried out in pain at the movement. Natsu's arms drew back, but soon pulled her gently into his arms. Lucy shuddered and nuzzled into his warmth. Natsu stroked her hair, and when his hands met with the warm blood, he growled.

"I'm taking you to a hospital." Natsu said. Lucy was too dazed to protest as he lifted her in his arms and started moving out of her room. Every time she moved, pain struck. Natsu barely contained his rage. He would kill the man that did this to her. Servants gasped as he walked past, but didn't approach the glowering teenager. Natsu realized that his motorcycle wasn't equipped to carry an injured girl to the hospital, and he called Gray.

"What do you want? I'm busy." Gray grumbled.

"I need you to pick me up and take me to the hospital." Natsu said through gritted teeth.

"Did you get in a fight again? Where are you?" Gray asked.

"It's not me. It's Lucy. Hurry." Natsu gave him the address and looked down at the unconscious blonde in his arms.

"I'll protect you, Lucy." He whispered, pressing a kiss on her forehead. Gray pulled up and cursed when he saw Lucy. Soon, they arrived at the hospital and Natsu waited impatiently outside Lucy's room until the doctors let him in.

"Looks like she's got a concussion and one of her ribs might be fractured, but she should be waking up soon." A man said to Natsu, who barely heard him. He pushed past him into the room and sat down next to Lucy's bed. Natsu grabbed on to her hand and held it until she woke up.

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**Is Lucy okay? Will she get to go to the dance with Natsu? All will be revealed! Sorry, wanted to hype up the drama a bit. I hoped you enjoyed this chapter, and reviews are always welcome. Thanks for reading! **


	6. Strawberry Street

**Hey! Sorry for the wait, but school and work got me all busy lately. I'm still working on this story, so keep an eye out for more! Enjoy the NaLu!**

CHAPTER 6

Lucy woke up to a bright white room, smelling of anesthetic and disinfectant. She felt no needles imbedded anywhere in her skin, which was good since Lucy hated needles. She felt bandaging around her chest, and her head pounded, but not as bad as before. Before. The seemingly endless mental torment had turned physical. After years of emotional abuse leading to Lucy's withdrawn unconfident nature seemed insignificant compared to last night's brutal beating. Lucy tried to sit up, but her arm was held down by something warm. She looked over to see a pink head resting on her arm, clinging to her. Lucy smiled gently. She would have moved her arm, but she didn't want to disturb Natsu. Lucy observed the rest of her room, which small and contained multiple empty beds. Lucy took a deep breath, which turned out to be a terrible idea, and shuddered. She still couldn't believe her father had actually beaten her with his own hands.

A small snore came from Natsu, and Lucy tried to focus on the present. She shook her arm and attempted to remove it from Natsu's grasp – which turned out to be impossible. Lucy groaned. Her attempts to free herself made her bruises ache. Right as she was about to resign herself to a tingly feeling as her arm started to go numb, Gray walked in with a cup of coffee.

"You're awake! Good." He said with a nod in her direction. Lucy self-consciously brushed her hair behind her ear and gave Gray of what she hoped was a smile, Lucy couldn't tell for sure if her face would obey her.

"How long?" Lucy asked. Gray's gaze softened.

"Barely even an hour." He said reassuringly. Lucy breathed a small sigh of relief. The writer in her had theorized about being in a coma for weeks, or even months, and a dramatic awakening followed by a declaration of love. Something that was straight out of a cheesy romance novel. Lucy knew better of course, or at least that's what she told herself. The door opened again, and in walked a smartly dressed woman in a white lab coat.

"Hello Lucy. I'm Dr. Newbell. We have quite a lot to talk about." She said, eyeing Lucy's bruises knowingly.

"Well, that's our queue." Gray said. He kicked the chair Natsu was sitting in, sending Natsu sprawling on the floor. Natsu jerked awake with a curse and took note of his surroundings. He immediately looked down at Lucy with concern written clearly on his face. Lucy gave him a smile, real this time, and gestured for him to leave. Gray dragged the stoic Natsu out by his collar, mumbling apologies.

"Your boyfriend is really sweet. He stayed by your side from the moment you got here." Dr. Newbell chuckled.

"He's not my boyfriend!" Lucy said a little too quickly. Dr. Newbell just hummed a response.

"Now Lucy. Based on what your boy- your _friend_ told me and what I could gather from the injuries you'd sustained, it looks like you were abused by your father." Dr. Newbell gave Lucy a sympathetic look.

"My father did h-hit me. It was the first time he's ever done something like t-that before though." Lucy explained quietly. She couldn't help the feelings of shame that crept up her spine. Lucy wished she'd been stronger and fought back or at least done _something._

"It's not your fault. What happened to you was despicable, and it is in no way your fault. Just remember that, okay?" Lucy nodded, feeling more confident after Dr. Newbell's reassuring words.

"Now, about your injuries. You have a mild concussion, so be careful with that noggin of yours. Also, one of your ribs could be fractured, but the x-ray wasn't definite. Because of that, I want you to be cautious about lifting heavy objects and other strenuous activities. I would hold out on sports or anything like that for a month or two to be safe. As I'm sure you're aware, there are many bruises on your torso and one on your face. These will heal relatively quickly, so no worries there. Just put ice on them every once and a while to help. I have written a prescription for some pain medication, and you should take one a day for a month. Oh, and you also need to contact the police about your family situation." Dr. Newbell said with a stern expression that left no room for discussion.

"What about soccer? Tryouts are in three weeks and I really need to be on the team." Lucy said, purposefully trying to change the subject away from the police and how she would probably have to deal with child services.

"Come in to see me right before and we'll see." Dr. Newbell rose to leave, but hesitated at the door. "I know the type of thing you're going through. My ex used to beat me senseless. The best thing to do is get out of a bad situation."

Once she left, Natsu and Gray barreled back in spouting endless questions.

"Guys, calm down! I'm fine. Just a mild concussion and bruises, nothing too bad. I'll just have to take it easy for a while." Lucy said gently. Natsu had barely been able to contain his rage the whole evening, but seeing Lucy acting as if nothing was wrong when she'd been sobbing in the fetal position for an hour before she called him was the last straw.

"Like hell you're fine! You didn't see yourself when I found you! I'm gonna kill your dad! He can't treat you like that and get away with it!" Natsu screamed. Lucy flinched, but looked at Natsu with anger in her eyes.

"What makes you think he'll get away with _this?_" She growled, gesturing to her battered body. Natsu blinked. In his mind, Lucy was the most beautiful she had ever been sitting in that hospital bed with steel in her eyes and strength in her heart even though she'd literally been beaten down.

"That's what I'm talking about." Gray said with a smile, cracking his knuckles. Lucy smiled, and soon she was laughing. Although her chest protested at the movement, she couldn't stop laughing. Soon Natsu and Gray joined in and the three of them were laughing together, happy that what seemed like the worst was over.

Lucy left her hospital room that night, against the advisement of her nurse and the boys. Lucy just said it was ridiculous to take up a perfectly good bed when there were probably people out there with worse injuries than her. Gray parked in front of her house at around eight. He and Natsu insisted they walked in with her and Lucy begrudgingly accepted their offer. Lucy opened the front door with a bang, alerting the staff of her presence. Gray looked around the grand entrance hall with one eyebrow cocked in awe. Immediately, the maids flocked around Lucy anxiously, asking after her health. Lucy gave them assurances, and asked where her father was. The maids glanced at each other nervously, but told Lucy he was in his study. Lucy led the boys up the stairs and down the halls to her father's study. Lucy made sure the two boys stayed out of the room unless she called for them. Natsu seemed to hate her plan, but he wouldn't disobey her. She burst in the same way she had when she came in the front door. Her father looked up from his work in anger. When he saw Lucy, his expression turned to one of disgust. Lucy limped into the room, with her head held high and a regal expression on her face.

"What do you think you're doing?" Her father spat.

"Me? Well, I'm just here to give you my terms before I go to the police and the _press._" Lucy paused, and saw her Jude's eyes narrow. When he didn't interrupt, she continued.

"You will pay for an apartment for me, and a year's worth of rent. I don't want your money, but seeing as I have school and can't work just yet because of you I have no other choice. Also, you will never contact me again after I pack my things and leave. I don't want to see your face ever again. I will no longer be bullied by you! I refuse to deal with your shit, and to be treated like trash! I am a human being, and mom would be ashamed of you!" Lucy shouted. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she refused to cry in front of her father.

"What makes you think I will allow this?" Jude said through gritted teeth.

"I don't need your permission. I am _telling_ you what will happen. Otherwise, I'll file charges and soon there will be a storm of bad press for your precious business. I'm sure you'd go straight down the hole if your investors found out you beat your daughter." Lucy said daringly. She knew her father's business was the most important thing to him. Jude was silent for a minute, but soon he nodded. Lucy turned to leave, telling him she would contact him about the apartment later.

"Don't think you're going to get away with this. You're just a whiny spoiled bitch, and soon you will be back here for more. And next time, I won't go so easy on you. You _belong to me_." Jude scowled darkly. Lucy froze, flashbacks of earlier flashing in her memory. Her breath started coming out in short breaths and a panicked feeling welled up in her stomach. Suddenly, the door slammed open and Natsu barreled through. Jude stood up quickly in surprise, and Lucy unfroze. She reached out to stop Natsu, but was too late. He ran around the mahogany desk and his fist smashed into Jude's face. Lucy gasped, and she could hear Gray cursing behind her.

"Natsu!" Lucy breathed in disbelief. Natsu's chest heaved with his effort to contain his rage. "You bastard!" He cursed.

"What makes you think she belongs to you? Lucy is her own person! If you ever try to lay a _fucking_ hand on her again, I swear I will kill you!" He sweared. Lucy was rooted to the floor in shock. Natsu… she thought. He had never been so heroic and strong in her eyes until that moment. Lucy felt cracks appear in her strong emotional walls around her heart, and she knew she was entering a new stage in her life. One of hope.

"Gah. I never thought finding an apartment on such short notice was so hard." Lucy whined. She had just hung up with yet another landlord who didn't have a spare flat.

"Come on, Luce. You can live with me!" Natsu stated from the floor next to Lucy. She was leaning against his couch, and he was lying in front of her, his head propped up on his arm. Lucy, Natsu, and Gray had packed what Lucy needed and left the Heartfilia estate yesterday, and Lucy had crashed at Natsu's apartment. Lucy glared at Natsu. As enjoyable, and messy, as living with Natsu would be, Lucy was determined to be independent and find her own place.

"That's not going to happen Natsu. First of all, your living habits are terrible, and second of all, I need to start off on my own now. I need my own place." Lucy said with a shrug. Her bruises ached at the movement, but Lucy didn't want Natsu to worry. She's been downplaying her injuries because of Natsu's overprotective nature. To be honest, Lucy felt terrible- emotionally and physically. Her wounds were always throbbing and when she moved- well let's just say it wasn't pleasant. Natsu pouted, and looked away. A knock sounded on the door, and Happy made a disgruntled noise and pawed at Natsu's face.

"I know, I know." Natsu muttered. He pushed himself up and opened the door for Levy.

"Hi guys!" Levy said excitedly. Lucy had informed Levy of her situation, and had asked her to help. Levy maneuvered around the suitcases and boxes of Lucy's things that littered the floor and sat down next to Lucy.

"Alright! So I brought a list of landlords that I've heard good things about, and I also brought some more boxes for you." Levy said as she grabbed some papers out of her purse and laid them out on the floor. Natsu returned to his previous position, still grumbling about how Lucy could live with him.

"Ugh. Natsu, will you give it up already? Where would I sleep? What about the _one_ bathroom? Besides, I want my own place. Away from my father." Lucy gave Natsu a stern look, but he was lost in thought.

"We could share my bed?" He smirked. Pinked tinged his cheeks, dismantling the confident façade he tried to portray. Lucy's face turned as red as Erza's hair, and Levy chuckled.

"You..idiot!" Lucy screamed. She grabbed a book that was lying on the floor and smacked Natsu's head with it. "Ow!" He protested. Soon the two were arguing about unimportant things, and Levy sat on the outskirts of the group with a sly smile on her face. She quickly sent out a group text to some of her friends and soon a plan was hatched.

"Really? An opening? That would be wonderful! All right, Strawberry street, right? Thank you so much. Yes. Yes, I'll drop by to look at the apartment soon. Thanks. Good bye." Lucy jumped up with a squeal of excitement.

"You found a place?" Levy asked, just as excited.

"Yea, on Strawberry Street. I don't think it's that far from here actually. The rent's kinda steep, but it sounds amazing. I'm going to gather my things, then we can go over!" Lucy started to organize all the papers scattered around Natsu's floor, but was interrupted when Natsu stomped over them and into the kitchen.

"Natsu? Is everything alright?" Lucy asked cautiously.

"I don't know. Yea. It's nothing- never mind. I'll help." Natsu came back next to Lucy and smiled as he helped her pack up her things.

"Oh! Lucy, don't you need a job? You have to pay for food and stuff yourself now, right?" Levy asked from across the room. Lucy froze. She slowly turned to face Levy.

"I-I almost forgot about that… on my own, by myself…" Lucy stuttered. Natsu perked up and wiggled up against Lucy.

"Well, I know the perfect place for you. We can work together! You're coming with me to Fairy Tail, the restaurant!" He exclaimed with a big smile. Lucy just stared at him in confusion.

"Isn't Fairy Tail the schoool? There's a restaurant named after the school?" She asked confusedly.

"Well, Makarov, the headmaster, owns both the school and the bar and he ain't good at coming up with names. Fairy Tail is his go to I guess. But I can get ya a job there real easy."

"I don't know, I've already burdened you so much," Lucy hesitated.

"Aww, come on! It'll be fun! Half the team works there, so you'll know people. It's fun!" Natsu insisted. He poked Lucy with each word, gazing at her imploringly. Lucy blushed at his casual contact, and hastily agreed to get him to stop pestering her. Levy snickered, and Lucy quickly shouted incoherent thoughts at the scheming teen.

When all the details had been worked out, Lucy, Natsu, and Levy drove in Levy's car over to Lucy's new apartment. Lucy knocked on the front door, which was answered by a short old woman wearing clothes that were much to small for her.

"You Lucy?" She asked gruffly, looking Lucy up and down.

"Yes ma'am." Lucy replied. The lady squinted, then stepped aside to let her in. The landlady led the group up to the apartment for Lucy, muttering about her rules and policies.

"Here ya are." She said, opening a door that read 3B. Lucy gasped when she saw the apartment. It was similar to Natsu's, but slightly bigger. It had a small kitchen and some room for a couch and TV next to it. There was a door leading to the relatively large bedroom with a queen sized bed and a dresser. There was also a decent sized bathroom, which Lucy thoroughly checked out.

"It's amazing! I'll take it!" Lucy exclaimed. The landlady grunted and nodded.

"I expect first month's rent tomorrow. I'll give you some time to get situated." She said as she waddled out of the apartment.

"Isn't it amazing?" Lucy asked her friends. Levy agreed, and Natsu gave a small nod. He was sniffing the kitchen, as to be expected.

"There isn't any food yet, Natsu." Lucy called out.

"I know. I'm just looking around." He said with a wave of his arm. Natsu continued his inspection while Lucy and Levy started to unpack Lucy's things. Her dresser and closet were barely filled, reminding Lucy to go back and get the rest of her clothes. After an hour of setting up the apartment, Lucy collapsed on the bare bed.

"I can't believe this is actually happening." Lucy said with a sigh of disbelief. She bounced on the mattress when another weight crashed down next to her. Lucy looked over at Natsu, who was lying next to her on the mattress.

"Yea, but you barely got anything." He pointed out. Lucy pouted.

"I know, but I have enough." She said contendedly. Natsu gave her a small smile, and rolled over to face Lucy. Lucy looked into his dark eyes, trying to decipher his thoughts.

"What're you thinking?" Lucy asked quietly. Sudden romantic tension filled the air between them, and Lucy swore the temperature rose.

"'Bout you." He replied after a moment.

"Really? Why," Lucy murmured. Her sight drifted down to Natsu's parted lips, which looked soft and enticing. Most of Lucy's insecurites and doubts were pushed to the back of her mind, allowing room for steamy thoughts. Natsu's lips smirked, and Lucy quickly looked back into his eyes, her cheeks pink. She was surprised to see that Natsu's face was also flushed. His glance wavered between Lucy's brown eyes and her lips. His eyebrows knitted in concentration, and he inched his way closer to Lucy, narrowing the distance between them. Soon, their noses were touching, and Lucy could feel Natsu's hot fast breath against her lips. Lucy's pulse quickened, and Natsu felt the soft gasps on his own lips. He didn't really know what he was doing, but it felt right. Natsu met Lucy's eyes hesitantly, as if asking for permission. Lucy moved slightly closer to Natsu, so that their lips brushed against each other. Electric shocks coursed through Lucy's body at the slight touch, and she was surprised at her strong reaction to such a small action. Natsu felt his blood boil in excitement, and he closed the distance between them. His lips pressed gently against Lucy's, and he grabbed her waist to pull her closer to him. Their kiss deepened, and Natsu's tongue swiped against Lucy's lips. Lucy sucked in a breath and her lips parted slightly, leaving room for Natsu's tongue to explore. Her hand clutched the hair at the nape of Natsu's neck, and she pressed herself against him.

"That didn't take long." Came an amused voice. Lucy jerked away from Natsu's embrace, but Natsu kept his hold on the girl in his arms. He glared at Levy, who was chuckling at the entrance to the bedroom. Lucy stuttered, her face scarlet red. Natsu tightened his grip on her waist, and silenced her muttering with his lips. Lucy squeaked and hopped away and off the bed.

"L-levy! I-it's not what-" Lucy began.

"Oh I'm sure it's _exactly_ what I think. You guys keep it up. I knew it would happen eventually. Don't mind me." She called as she sauntered out of the room with a smirk. As soon as Levy left, she squealed and pulled out her phone to inform a few choice people of this development.

Lucy sat silently on the edge of the bed, the last amazing few moments replaying in her mind.

"Was that bad?" Natsu asked quietly.

"What? No! That was far from bad. It was- I have no words for how amazing that was. Like, _wow._" Lucy explained, brushing her bangs out of her eyes nervously.

"Then what?" Natsu asked.

"I- well, it was my first real kiss." Lucy whispered. Natsu gave her a puzzled look. "Mine too, but that doesn't change the fact that it was fucking awesome."

"Natsu!" Lucy chastised. He just shrugged. He wormed his way up the bed to sit next to Lucy.

"I mean, it meant a lot. And felt really nice. I'd like to do it again sometime too." He said shyly. Natsu? Being considerate? Lucy was shocked. The butterflies in her stomach fluttered nervously, but Lucy tried to push those feelings aside. She placed her shaking hand on Natsu's cheek and smiled.

"I really like you Natsu, but I don't know. I'm just starting out again, and-" Natsu silenced her with a chaste kiss.

" I know, and I really like you too Luce. But, I'm still gonna be with ya, so get used to a busy life."

**WOohoo! Finally, right! Thanks for reading, and please review! It motivates me to work faster, and I would like some advice on kiss scenes, because there will be more in the future. **


	7. The Interview

**Hello lovelies! Sorry for the late update, again! There's really no excuse... but in an attempt to win your forgiveness, I have included some NaLu fluffiness in this chapter. Please tell me whatcha think, and I'm gonna need help with the design for Lucy's HALLOWEEN BALL DRESS YAY! So message me if you have some ideas, and enjoy! **

**disclaimer: I don't own fairy tail *quiet sobs in the background***

CHAPTER 7

"Gah. I can't believe it's already Friday." Lucy groaned. Her head was laying on her desk in mythology. One week ago, her life was horrible. Now Lucy had an apartment, a job interview, new friends, and a boyfriend- well sort of boyfriend. Lucy was unsure whether or not she wanted a relationship with Natsu just yet. After all, she had just met him barely three weeks ago. Her life was busy enough as it is without him swooping in and distracting her. Natsu seemed cool about her indecision and hadn't pressured her at all since their make out session on her new bed, which Lucy thought was amazing.

Macao was out again that day, to nobody's surprise. Lucy didn't know how she was actually learning with him gone so long, but she had gathered quite an impressive mental library on different myths, which she planned on using for her future novels.

"I know right! I'm so glad this week is finally over." Natsu groaned. He was currently doodling on Lucy's notebook, having moved his desk directly next to hers at the beginning of class. Lucy sighed and lifted her head.

"I have my job interview tomorrow though, and I don't know if I'm prepared! Plus I still have bruises on my face, and practically everywhere else. I don't know if I have enough make up to cover it up." Lucy whined. Natsu's pencil froze at the mention of her bruises.

"Why cover them up? It proves you survived. Besides, you look pretty either way so who cares?" He said with a shrug. Lucy felt her cheeks flush and she muttered about how she cared.

"You're doing it all wrong. The price is supposed to kill the dragon and save the princess." Lucy said, changing the subject to Natsu's doodle, which depicted a fiery dragon eating a prince while the princess stared on with hearts for eyes.

"Not in my fairy tail. The dragon is protecting the princess from all the assholes." Natsu explained with a grin. Lucy rolled her eyes, not surprised at all at Natsu's fairy tail interpretation. Soon the bell rang, releasing the anxious students back out into the world. Lucy and Natsu strolled together out to Natsu's motorcycle, chatting about random things. Natsu offered to give Lucy rides since she no longer had a chauffer, or a car for that matter.

"So what do they expect at the bar? Do I have to wear a weird outfit, cause I don't know about that. Or, would I have to do weird jobs like, I don't know, scrubbing the floors with a spoon and some spit. What am I even talking about, I might not even get the job!" Lucy ranted. She was verging close to a full-blown panic attack over the stress of her job interview the next day.

"Don't worry. I'm sure you'll get the job. Stop worrying. You're probably gonna be a waitress since that one dude just left. If you, by some strange happenstance, don't get the job I'll beat someone up for you." Natsu said, a mischievous glint in his eye.

"Oh stop. No fighting." Lucy said, her anxiety smoothed over at his words.

"Why not?" Natsu whined. Lucy laughed at his childish response. The couple reached Natsu's bike and the climbed on. Lucy wrapped her arms around Natsu's trim waist, and he revved the engine and roared out of the parking lot.

"Hey Mira!" Levy called out to the white-haired barmaid. She, Erza, and Juvia had walked into Fairy Tail Bar to discuss their favorite couple. Natsu and Lucy.

"Hi guys! I'll be right with you!" Mira said cheerfully. The girls sat down at their usual table in the corner by the front window and eagerly waited for Mira to join them.

"Alright! I want all the juicy details." Mira squealed as she sat down.

"Okay. So earlier this week-" Levy began, giving Mira a rundown of all the cute things Natsu and Lucy had done that week.

"-and in their last class today I heard he was doodling in her notebook and they were practically sitting on top of each other." Levy said with a wide smile. This gathering of the Girl Club had gone on for a few months, but it was only recently that their topic of discussion shifted to Natsu and Lucy's love life. Mira still hadn't met the couple yet, but she was already obsessed based on some incognito pictures and stories.

"Ugh! They need to get together all ready!" Mira said in frustration.

"We have a plan for that. Next week. Harvest festival, and more importantly, the Halloween Ball." Erza said smugly. Mira's eyes glinted gleefully and she leaned in close to hear the plan.

"First, we need to get Lucy a super amazing dress."

"Juvia knows a good place, and she has found a few dresses that would work." Juvia cut in. The shy girl had barely started hanging out with the Girl Club, and recently began to actually speak during the meetings.

"This is going to be so good. If they aren't together after this, I'll kill them." Mira said. The girls chattered close together, giggling and squealing in excitement at their devious plan.

"Natsu, I don't have any food yet. I ran out last night, remember?" Lucy called out to the boy rummaging around in her kitchen.

"I think I smell a tomato!" Natsu yelled back hopefully.

"How on earth can you smell a tomato? What does that even smell like?" Lucy muttered. Natsu's weirdly accurate senses were startling, almost as much as his bizarre hair-color. Lucy groaned in pain at her aching chest and pounding head. She looked at the time, and sighed. She still had to wait two more hours before she could take another round of pain medication. Her bruises still hurt, but some of them were yellowing out and healing while others were still a deep purple. Lucy bounced on the old sofa as Natsu jumped on over the back, landing next to her.

"So, what d'ya want to do?" Natsu asked. Lucy shrugged and leaned against Natsu, resting her head on his shoulder. Lucy was surprised to see how comfortable she had become with Natsu after such a short period of time. Usually Lucy didn't get close to her new friends for a month or two, but she was already acting like she'd known Natsu since she was a kid. Lucy looked at the clock on her phone, which read half past three. It was too early to go eat dinner.

"I think a new movie came out today. We could see that." Natsu suggested, running his hand absentmindedly through Lucy's hair. Lucy moaned and snuggled in closer to Natsu's warmth. The weather had changed to the autumn chill earlier than usual, making Lucy unpack her sweaters and pants already. Natsu's strangely warm body heat helped, especially since he rarely left her side. Lucy closed her eyes, Natsu's fingers in her hair lulling her to sleep. She felt warm and safe, which was just what she needed. Natsu looked down at the snoozing blonde in his arms with a small smile. He remembered how afraid he had been when she first went to sleep after being diagnosed with a concussion. He woke her up frequently that night to make sure she was still alive and breathing. Natsu leaned his head on Lucy's and closed his eyes.

Lucy woke up to hear small snores in her ear. She groggily sat up- or rather tried to sit up. Somehow during her nap, she ended up half-lying on Natsu's chest, her arms wrapped around him. Natsu was sprawled out in the corner of her couch, his arm firmly holding Lucy against him while he napped. Blushing, Lucy nudged Natsu with her elbow in an attempt to wake him. Natsu snored on, tightening his grasp on Lucy. Sighing, Lucy elbowed him harder, but to no avail. Lucy then tried to squeeze out from under Natsu's arm, which also ended in utter failure. That man had a firm grip. It wasn't like Lucy had grabbed his firm biceps, no of course not. If she did, it was _only_ in an attempt to free herself. That was all. Lucy made a frustrated noise, her headache getting worse. She reached for her phone, but stopped when she saw it lying on the floor a few feet away. Lucy groaned again.

She looked over at her sleeping partner, and with a cherry red face, reached into his pocket to grab his phone. She clicked the unlock button and her face popped up on the screen. Well, Natsu and her face to be precise. Lucy recognized the picture set as his background. It was during lunch earlier that week when Natsu had draped his arm protectively around her shoulder when an obnoxious freshman wouldn't leave her alone. He hadn't moved his arm even after the freshman left, and soon Lucy stopped pestering him about it. She would never admit how much she liked having his arm around her. Levy had taken the picture when Lucy was laughing at some joke she couldn't remember. Lucy never saw the picture, since Levy wouldn't let her see it. Now Lucy knew why. While she had been caught in mid laugh by Levy, Natsu was caught looking right at Lucy with a loving look in his eye and a goofy smile on his face. He looked smitten. Lucy had never had anyone look at her like that before. Moreover, she never had anyone use her picture as his phone background before either.

Lucy looked up at Natsu's sleeping face and smiled, feeling her heart grow in her chest.

"Alright bud, even though you are an adorable romantic idiot, I'm hungry and I want my meds." Lucy said to Natsu, receiving no response from the slumbering male. Lucy slid closer to Natsu's face and stuck her face right up next to his. She felt her cheeks flush at her proximity, but she ignored her body's reaction and took a deep breath.

"Natsu! Wake up!" Lucy screamed loudly directly into Natsu's ear. Natsu jerked awake, losing his balance and falling onto the floor - which wouldn't have been a problem if he didn't drag Lucy down with him. Lucy squealed and landed hard on the floor. Groaning, she tried to sit up, but was restrained by a very warm body on top of her. Lucy opened her eyes and faced Natsu's surprised ones.

"Why are you on top of me?" Lucy asked. Natsu had his arms on either side of Lucy's head propping him up, and his body lied directly on top of hers. Natsu grinned down at Lucy and leaned in closer so that their noses were touching.

"What? Is there a problem?" Natsu teased. Lucy's face was scarlet, and even Natsu had pink tinting his cheeks. Lucy rolled her eyes. She pushed against Natsu's chest and he rolled over onto the floor next to her. Lucy sat up with a groan and she clutched at her pounding head. She got up and wobbled over to her kitchen to grab her pain medication. Lucy checked the time again, and was relieved to see it was past five o'clock. Wait. It had been almost two whole _hours_ since she fell asleep. She'd been cuddling with Natsu for two hours? Lucy shook her head and quickly drank down her next batch of pain meds. Lucy groaned as the huge pills went down her throat and took a big swig from her water. She walked back into the living room, with Natsu still lying on the floor staring at her. Lucy bent down and picked up her phone- which turned out to be much more painful than she expected. Her sore muscles and bruises protested at the movement. Lucy felt Natsu watching her, so she tried not to wince.

"Looks like Levy called me, I wonder what she wanted." Lucy mumbled her thoughts out loud as she redialed her friend. The phone rang and rang and rang before Lucy finally heard Levy pick up.

"H-hello?" Levy's voice said breathily.

"Levy? You called me earlier, is everything all right? You sound out of breath." Lucy asked in concern. She thought she heard a deep voice mumbling in the background when Levy finally spoke again.

"Oh, w-well, I wanted to hang out but it seems like I'm busy at the moment." Levy stuttered out. Lucy most definitely heard another very male voice in the background that time.

"Shrimp, just hang up already." A familiar voice said.

"Well, sorry Lucy! I-I have to go." Levy said quickly before hanging up on the confused blonde.

"What's wrong, Luce?" Natsu asked from the floor.

"Nothing. Levy was just acting weird, and I could have sworn I heard Gajeel's voice," Lucy muttered. Natsu just shrugged and flipped up onto his feet.

"Aren't you a ninja?" Lucy teased. Natsu smiled and stretched his arms.

"Man, I haven't slept that well in ages." He said satisfyingly. Lucy just rolled her eyes and grabbed her purse off the kitchen counter.

"Come on, let's go grab something to eat. You're probably starving already." Lucy called out. Natsu made an excited grunt and followed behind the blonde like a lost puppy.

Declining Natsu's offer to drive them around on his bike, the couple meandered around the town. Lucy had become well acquainted with the different restaurants and fast food franchises around her apartment, but she was looking for something new to try. Natsu pulled Lucy from shop to shop on Main Street, window-shopping and tasting food from almost every street vendor around. Lucy finally dragged Natsu into a small Italian restaurant at around six thirty in the evening. The restaurant was hard to find amidst the vines and bigger shops around it. The restaurant was just the quiet, small corner Lucy had been looking for to get away from all the hustling crowds on Main Street. When their waiter arrived, Lucy ordered a small plate of fettuccine alfredo, and Natsu ordered garlic meatballs and some spaghetti, which was only half his usual amount. He must've filled up some on the vendor food on their way here, Lucy mused.

"So, are you going to go to the Harvest Festival on Friday?" Lucy asked.

"Yea. There's a whole group from the team that's planning on going, so I'd figure I'd join in on the fun. I'll prove to Gray that I can beat him at any and all games." Natsu said, his mouth full of the complimentary garlic bread.

"I might go with Levy and Erza. It might be fun to just hang out and relax."

"What do you mean, silly? You're gonna come with me. We go everywhere together, remember?" Natsu said calmly. Lucy felt her cheeks flush.

"Yes, but you're not always going to be around, Natsu. Like tomorrow, for example, I'm going to my interview and I can't have you there to hold my hand."

"Well yea, but I'm gonna be right outside. I'm working when you have your interview, so I'll be close by." Natsu replied.

"But you're not going to be with me forever, Natsu." Lucy blurted, immediately regretting her words the moment they left her mouth.

"Maybe not, but I'm not going to sit idly by while you get hurt again. I'll protect you, Lucy. Don't forget it." Natsu said darkly. Lucy took a swig from her soda and nodded. Natsu's words made her feel warm and safe for the first time in a long time. Lucy was safe.

"I can't believe it." Mira said, not believing the sight right in front of her. Mira was sitting in a booth at a quiet Italian restaurant, having totally not followed a pink haired person into said restaurant, of course not. Mira hid behind her menu, watching the couple sitting across the room. Lucy was laughing at some story Natsu was telling her with elaborate hand gestures, and the couple looked absolutely adorable. Mira never thought that she would get so lucky when she was window-shopping on Main Street. She never dreamed of running into Natsu and Lucy, _in person,_ acting all lovey-dovey. It was almost too much excitement for the woman to bear. Mira paid for her drink and quickly left the restaurant, typing text messages with lightning speed on her phone.

Lucy was stuffed when they finally left the restaurant. Yawning, the blonde leaned into Natsu's warm body. His arm was draped across her shoulders and he held her close. Humming, Natsu stroked Lucy's hair. Both of them were completely fine with the silence between them, comfortable enough with each other to not need constant conversation.

"I should have brought my cardigan. It's getting chilly." Lucy commented. Natsu just grunted in agreement. Lucy pulled her phone out when it started vibrating incessantly in her pocket. Lucy looked at the seemingly endless barrage of texts from her friends lighting up her phone.

"What is going on?" Lucy murmured to herself. Natsu peeked over her shoulder and whistled.

"Wow, Lucy. What'd ya do?" He asked.

"How am I supposed to know?" Lucy shot back.

**Levy: Luuuuuucccyyyy! Why didn't u tell me u were on a date w natsu?**

** Erza: Lucy! You better be prepared to explain yourself! I don't want to have to beat the answers I want out of you!**

** Unknown Number: I am glad you are finally no longer Juvia's love rival!**

** Gray: Flame-brain finally put the moves out on u**

** Levy: LUCY YOU BETTER ANSWER ME RIGHT NOW**

** Levy: I HAVE A GOOD SOURCE MISSY**

** Levy: GIVE ME ALL THE DETAILS**

"I am most certainly not on a date with Natsu!" Lucy yelled at her phone. Natsu bumped her and gave Lucy a doubtful look.

"We just went out for food…now this…why did I even…how did they find out…what am I going to do…" Lucy muttered incoherently. Natsu rolled his eyes.

"You're such an idiot." He said, pulling her along with him back to her apartment.

"I am not!" Lucy retorted, brought out of her panic by his words.

"You are. Let's just go home and deal with it tomorrow. You do have a big day tomorrow." Natsu smirked. Lucy paled, remembering her interview the next day. She quickly replied to her friends texts, telling them she would explain later and that she and Natsu were certainly not on a date! Definitely not! No way! Never! Absolutely not!

Natsu dropped Lucy off at her apartment building, then roared off on his motorcycle. Lucy heaved a big sigh and crashed down onto her couch with a groan. Why did this keep happening to her? Sure, she liked Natsu a lot, maybe even as more than a friend, but she wasn't ready for a relationship. At least, that was what she told herself. Lucy changed into her pajamas and snuggled down into her bed, trying to banish all fantasies of what it would be like to date Natsu from her mind - which was a hopeless delusion.

"You'll be fine. Gramps is a nice guy." Natsu muttered into Lucy's ear. He was rubbing her stiff back soothingly while trying to calm the jittery blonde. Lucy was at the bar for her job interview, and she was freaking out. That morning, she had taken extra time to put on some make up and pick out an outfit. The outfit picking took hours of debate between Lucy and Levy, who had come over to help Lucy when she'd called her in a panic. After explaining that Lucy's outing with Natsu was only platonic friends hanging out platonically, Lucy had admitted the excited Levy into her apartment.

"Well, it certainly didn't look like that." Levy had commented.

"How did you even get a picture of us?" Lucy asked in astonishment. Levy had shown Lucy a very interesting photo depicting the couple at the Italian Restaurant, laughing and enjoying each other's company. Sure, to any rational human being it looked like they were in love, but Lucy was not rational when it came down to Natsu.

"Natsu, what if he doesn't like me? What if I mess up or say something stupid? What if I trip and then crush him and-"

"Luce, just calm down. For the millionth time, you'll be fine. You don't need to worry so much, it's just a job interview." Natsu said with a smile, his attempts to calm Lucy epically failing.

"Just a job interview that decided if I eat next week. No big deal. Not like I have to pay for food and other necessities. No biggie." Lucy rambled. Natsu rolled his eyes. He didn't understand why Lucy was freaking out so much since it was obvious she would get the job. Lucy was amazing at everything, why wouldn't Gramps want to hire her? A white haired girl walked out from behind a door and walked towards Lucy with a smile on her face. When she saw Natsu giving Lucy a neck massage, she almost fainted.

"Lucy Heartfilia?" She asked.

"That's me. Hi. Um, nice to meet you." Lucy stuttered, shaking the girl's hand.

"I'm Mira, and it's time for your interview. It's so nice to finally meet you in person." Mira said with a devious smile. Good thing Lucy was too nervous to register her words. Lucy gave Mira a nervous smile and rose to follow her. She looked back at Natsu, who gave her an encouraging smile and a big thumbs-up. Lucy wrung her hands together and took a deep breath. She could do this. Natsu went back to work at busting tables, keeping an eye on the door Lucy had walked into the entire time.

"Miss Heartfilia, sit down." Makarov said, gesturing at Lucy to sit in a chair in front of his desk. Lucy smiled and sat.

"So, Natsu tells me you are in search of a job?" Makarov asked.

"Yes sir. I was recently-umm-evicted from my house and I think this job would be perfect." Lucy replied.

"Well you've come to the right place! We'll get you all situated later today and you can start tomorrow, if that's alright with you."

"Wait, isn't there supposed to be questions and intimidation? Aren't you supposed to shoot me down with endless unanswerable questions?" Lucy asked hesitantly. Makarov laughed.

"My dear, I have seen you work at school, so I know you are a determined young woman. I have been informed about your situation as well, and I am so sorry you had to live like that for so long. I can only hope both Fairy Tail High and Fairy Tail the bar will become your new homes. Also, some of my employees have told me about you. Natsu seems especially enthusiastic." Makarov chuckled with a knowing smile.

"O-oh, well Natsu is an enthusiastic person." Lucy stuttered, unsure how to respond.

"Yes he is. And if you wouldn't mind helping me out with a little trick, I think it will be hilarious." Makarov went on to explain his plan, and Lucy readily agreed.

Natsu was tapping his foot nervously while wiping down a table.

"Hasn't Natsu been cleaning that table for twenty minutes now?" A waitress asked Mira.

"Oh leave him be. He's in love and worried about his bae." Mira replied with a dreamy expression. The waitress just shrugged and got back to work. Natsu, meanwhile, slowly moved on to another table, one that was in plain sight of the back room Lucy had disappeared into over forty-five minutes and seventeen seconds ago. Eighteen seconds. Nineteen. Natsu kept a close eye on the room while slowly picking plates up off the table. Another ten minutes passed before the door cracked open, making Natsu jump and avert his eyes as if he hadn't been watching for movement for almost an hour. Makarov was holding the door open for a teary eyed Lucy. Natsu squeezed his hand around the towel and started to walk over to his crying Lucy.

"…terribly sorry Miss Heartfilia, but it seems someone else would be a better fit. Besides, you aren't at all qualified for this job. Maybe some other time." Makarov finished with a somber expression.

"I-I u-understand, sir. M-my p-past isn't e-ex-exactly favorable. I hope y-you have a g-g-good day." Lucy stuttered out between poorly muffled sobs. Natsu loudly dropped his bin of dishes onto the closest table and growled.

"Lucy…" He ground out angrily. Lucy looked over at Natsu, and he could have sworn he saw a flash of triumph in her eyes, but it must have been his imagination. She was practically creating a new river with those waterworks.

"Ah, Natsu! I'm so terribly sorry, but it appears that Miss Heartfilia isn't right for the job." Makarov said with a smile. Natsu clenched his fists. Lucy was crying again. Nobody, _nobody_, made his Lucy cry.

"Gramps…what did you do?" Natsu asked menacingly. Lucy looked over at Makarov hesitantly, wondering if they should keep up the ruse. Makarov gave her a small nod and held out his hands- the signal for the next stage of his prank. Lucy pushed against Natsu's chest, mumbling about how everything was fine. Natsu brushed Lucy off and glowered at Makarov.

"Now Natsu," Makarov said calmly, "Lucy is definitely not qualified to be a barkeep, seeing as she's still a minor. Plus, she can't cook anything! You should have seen her chopping those onions in my office, she failed miserably! Now, I do have to say that Lucy here would make an excellent waitress, and I have decided to hire her immediately. Starting tomorrow, Lucy will be an employee of Fairy Tail Bar and Grill!" Makarov said cheerfully, clapping his hands. Natsu froze, and Lucy could've sworn she saw a loading bar above his head as he processed Makarov's words.

"Wait…so she got the job?" He asked quietly. Makarov nodded.

"And she's crying because of…onions?" He asked skeptically. Makarov nodded again. Natsu looked over at Lucy, who couldn't hold back her devious smile anymore.

"You should have seen the amount of onions I had to chop to get me to look like this. It was insane!" She chirped. Natsu gave a sigh of relief.

"So you tricked me? You had this planned all along," Natsu said, drawing out the last word for an extended period of time. Lucy suddenly realized that pranking Natsu of all people might not have been the right idea.

"Well, umm, it was his idea and I just-" Lucy stammered, slowly backing away from Natsu.

"I believe something like this requires retaliation." Natsu said darkly, a devious smirk on his face.

"Natsu, don't be rash. Let's just talk about this," Lucy implored, holding her arms out in surrender. Natsu raised his hands into a familiar position, making Lucy pale.

"No, Natsu! Don't you dare!"

"Oh, I think Mr. Tickle here is _itching_ for some revenge." Natsu laughed. Lucy ran around the restaurant, dodging tables and chairs. She squealed as Natsu leapt over some of the tables to get to her.

"These crazy kids." Makarov sighed. Mira smiled from behind the bar.

"Oh young love. I'm so excited I get an up close look now, since they'll both be working here." Mira said, a dark sparkle in her eyes.

"Is that betting pool still going?" Makarov asked.

"Yes it is. I've collected quite an impressive amount of bets so far." Mira replied, still watching the couple running around the grill.

"I'd like to place a bet for next Friday." Makarov said, sliding some money over the counter to Mira. Mira smiled and wrote down his date, adding it to the pile under the counter.

"Natsu! Stop! I-haha- I surrender!" Lucy struggled to say between laughs. Natsu had finally caught Lucy back in the storeroom and was tickling her relentlessly. Lucy winced as he bumped one of her bruises, but covered it up with a smile.

"Fine. I'll only surrender if you promise not to scare me like that again." Natsu said seriously. His hands stilled on her waist, holding her in place. Lucy gulped, avoiding his stern gaze. She focused on a bag of peanuts next to Natsu's face.

"I promise." Lucy said. Natsu smiled and pulled Lucy in for a hug. Sighing, Lucy relaxed into Natsu's warm body.

"You got your very first job." Natsu whispered against her hair. Lucy couldn't help the excited squeal that spilled out of her.

"I got the job!" She whispered back. Lucy lost count of how long she had been in Natsu's arms, but she definitely did not want to leave his grasp any time soon.

"I gotta get back to work." Natsu muttered, not moving a muscle.

"Hmmf," Lucy grunted, not making a move either. They held each other for a few more moments before Natsu growled and pulled away. He straightened his apron and gave Lucy his characteristic wide grin.

"I'll swing by your place when my shift ends." Natsu said. Lucy nodded.

"Alright, back to work, slacker. Can't have you leaving right when I got the job." Lucy said jokingly, pushing Natsu back out into the restaurant.

"I'm goin', I'm goin'." Natsu said. He whistled as he went back to busting tables, turning around to give Lucy a wink. Lucy rolled her eyes and went up to say goodbye to Mira and Makarov, who were both sitting up at the bar.

"Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow for my first day." Lucy said, shaking Makarov's hand.

"That's right! Tomorrow is when you will get your regular schedule for the rest of the week, and we'll work out you pay check and all the paperwork. Be here at ten sharp for training!" Makarov said with a grin. Lucy smiled back.

"I can't wait to start working with you, Lucy!" Mira said cheerfully.

"The same for you, Mira." Lucy replied, just as cheerfully. Right as Lucy was walking out the door, Natsu's voice echoed out her name. Lucy turned around to have Natsu slam into her, pulling her into a stiff hug.

"Natsu?" She asked.

"You didn't think I'd let you leave without a goodbye hug, now did you?" Natsu said in her ear. Lucy sighed, and hugged Natsu really fast.

"We already hugged for, like, ever." Lucy whined, her cheeks red.

"Yea, but I like hugging you." Natsu smiled. Lucy blushed even more and turned to leave. Before she even took a step, Natsu grabbed her arm and smacked a kiss right on her lips. Lucy was too shocked to react to his fast kiss. She didn't know if she should pull him back for a better goodbye kiss, or smack him. Luckily for Natsu, he disappeared back into Fairy Tail with a whoop and a laugh before she could decide.

"Natsu Dragneel, you will be the death of me." Lucy muttered angrily as she stomped back to her home.

**Woo! NATSU IS SUCH A SWEETIE I KNOW! Anyway, r&amp;r and don't forget costume ideas for the ball!**


	8. A Dress Fit For An Angel

**I know it's been super long but i've got motivation for this story again! I wrote this really quickly and it probably has some mistakes, but i hope you guys like this chapter! Soon we'll have the harvest festival and the dance...hehehe...**

**QUICK ANNOUNCEMENT: *******_I'VE CHANGED THEIR AGES TO 17ISH, SO THEYRE IN THEIR JUNIOR YEAR INSTEAD. SOPHMORE WAS TOO YOUNG, SO ITS JUST A MINOR CHANGE! ***_**

**CHAPTER 8- A DRESS FIT FOR AN ANGEL**

Lucy sat on her couch and worked on some of her homework after she left the bar. Her mind kept returning to the kiss Natsu had snatched from her as she was leaving the bar, which meant she wasn't productive with her work at all. She'd been staring at the same calculus problem for the past half hour, and hadn't made any progress. Luckily for her, Levy called to save her from her homework for a shopping spree in preparation for the Harvest festival and dance in a week. Lucy readily agreed and planned to meet her friend at a smoothie place on Main Street.

"I can't believe I'm getting a dress when I haven't even been asked yet. I don't think I even have money for a dress! Or for the carnival games…" Lucy muttered anxiously as she walked to the smoothie bar. By the time she had reached the doors, Lucy had worked herself into an intense frenzy about money and the dance and Natsu.

"Lucy! Over here!" Levy called when she saw the blonde walk through the doors of the store. Lucy dejectedly meandered over to where Levy was sitting with some other girls in a corner booth and plopped down onto the bench.

"Hi Levy." She said, not noticing the other girls sitting around her.

"Lucy, are you okay?" The blue haired bookworm asked.

"Oh I'm fine. I don't have a date to the dance, or money for a dress since I left my dad, or even money for simple carnival games. I know Natsu would love to play the one where you smack something with a big hammer and it tells you how strong you are. What if I can't try out for the soccer team because I'm still sore? How am I supposed to feed myself this week when I haven't even gotten a pay check, is Natsu going to be angry with me for not-" Lucy blurted, becoming increasingly frantic as she spilled her worries.

"Lucy! Stop!" Levy exclaimed, shaking the blonde by the shoulders to get her attention. Lucy finally stopped ranting, and blinked. She looked around and saw all the other girls sitting at the booth as well and her face warmed.

"Levy…I'm sorry." She muttered. Levy laughed, and patted Lucy's back comfortingly.

"Lucy, I'd like you to meet the girls! You've been so busy with Natsu recently that I haven't been able to introduce you. This is Cana, Juvia and Erza-who you know already- and Laki." Levy said, pointing to each of the girls as she said their names.

"It's nice to meet all of you." Lucy said shyly. She was still reeling over her small breakdown in front of people she barely knew.

"So this is the Lucy I've heard so much about! She does have a nice rack!" The brunette- Cana- slurred. Lucy blushed and folded her arms over her chest.

"You have to tell us about your relationship with Natsu! I've heard so much about you two!" Laki squealed.

"R-relationship? T-there's no r-relationship! We're just friends. Who hang out platonically." Lucy stuttered, her face red. The memory of Natsu's kiss earlier that day flashed through her mind but she shook it out of her head.

"Even I don't believe that." Levy scoffed. Lucy sputtered. The girls all looked at her expectantly. Even Erza was leaning in for gossip.

"I mean, sure, the idea of dating him has crossed my mind. But I don't think I'm ready for a relationship with everything that's going on right now. I'm trying to get enough money for food and basic necessities, and worrying about school so I don't have time for a relationship." Lucy said, waving her hands dismissively.

"Bullshit." Cana said with a snort. "I've seen you two together, and being busy isn't an excuse when dating Natsu would make your life easier."

"I just don't think it would be a good idea right now. I'm not…" Lucy started. She subconsciously touched her ribs, where the worst of the bruises were starting to heal.

"Hey, nobody's forcing anything. We just think you two are soul mates." Levy said, making the girls laugh. Lucy giggled. Soon talk of boys had passed, and now the girls were discussing costume ideas and plans. Levy was going to be the Princess Belle to Gajeel's beast, and Erza was going to dress as a warrior princess- armor and everything. Laki wanted to dress as a witch and Juvia was working on a mermaid costume.

"There's a costume contest, and the best couple win the Harvest Throne. I think Gajeel and I have a good chance this year." Levy said excitedly. Lucy grinned. She had been coerced by the group to go as an angel-which she and Levy had talked about the other week.

"I think it's so cute that you and Gajeel are going together." Lucy swooned. The other girls, except Erza, sighed in longing as well.

"I-it's just a-a dance. Not like we're d-dating officially." Levy stammered, her face pink.

"If you two aren't dating, I don't know what dating means." Cana said with a roll of her eyes. The girls grunted in agreement.

"How about we go shopping now?" Levy asked in an attempt to change the subject away from her relationship with Gajeel.

"Doesn't feel good when people talk about you and another person, does it?" Lucy teased the bookworm quietly. Levy continued to sputter and stammer while getting the girls out of the smoothie bar and to the nearest boutique. Levy was still looking for a Belle dress, and Lucy figured she could get some sort of white dress and put wings on it to be an angel.

"Ooh! Lucy, look at this dress!" Cana called from the back corner of the store.

"That was fast," Lucy muttered. They had barely walked into the store and Cana had already found something.

"What is it?" Lucy asked as she pushed past a rack of puffy dresses to reach Cana.

"Here, look!" She said, holding up the dress. Lucy took one look at the gorgeous dress Cana was holding up and her mouth literally fell open.

"Oh my…it's so pretty!" Lucy exclaimed. It was white and had gold accents. The dress had silk fabric wrapping around the chest and waist with golden floral filigree accenting the left side, and the skirt melted from the bodice. The skirt had one pure white silk layer and a layer of sheer fabric folding on top. Golden stars were scattered around the skirt like on the bodice and the white fabric rippled as it moved. It was a celestial dress.

"It's…too gorgeous. I could never wear that." Lucy said nervously.

"Oh come on, at least try it on." Cana tempted, shaking the dress in front of Lucy like a trainer would do with a treat to a dog.

"Trying it on won't hurt, right?" Lucy said, too in awe of the dress to think clearly. She took the dress from Cana and went over to the nearest dressing room to try it on.

"Cana, is she putting it on?" Erza asked. Her head popped out from between the dresses on a rack behind Cana, and soon the other girl's emerged from similar hiding places.

"She's putting it on. Phase one complete." Cana said confidently. Levy dialed a number on her phone and quickly updated Mira on the situation.

_"I have a plan." Levy said deviously. _

_ "Do share." Mira said, her smile turning more devilish. All of the girls leaned in to listen to Levy's idea._

_ "So, we get Lucy an amazing dress for the dance, and she can be an angel while Natsu is a demon. It'll be perfect. They'll totally win the throne." Levy explained. _

_ "I like this plan. And when they win, they have to dance together. Which is the perfect situation for confessions." Mira giggled gleefully. _

_ "Exactly! So it's important that we get Natsu into a costume as well. And he can't see Lucy before the dance. His face when he sees her in a badass dress will be the best part." Levy said. _

_ "YES!" Mira screamed. The girls squealed about their plan to get Natsu and Lucy together and continued to work on their plan._

Lucy looked into the mirror in the dressing room in awe. The dress was amazing. There was no question this dress was made for her. It flowed down her curves elegantly and accentuated her figure. The gold accents complimented her hair and tied the whole image together.

"Lucy! Is the dress on?" Cana's voice called through the curtain.

"Yes!" She replied.

"Let us see!" Levy begged. Lucy took a deep breath and pushed back the curtain between her and the others. As they took in Lucy's glowing image, their mouths fell open, and soft gasps fell from their lips.

"It's perfect." Erza whispered. Lucy pulled at the skirt nervously.

"You don't think it's too much for a high school dance?" She asked.

"Of course not! If you don't wear that dress to the dance, I will personally hunt you down and kill you." The redhead declared. Lucy paled and took a step away from the scary woman.

"How am I supposed to buy this though?" Lucy asked somberly.

"I'm sure they'll let you rent it." Laki said. Lucy nodded, smiled at her friends. She was going to wear this dress to the dance. She was going to the dance. Lucy felt a burst of happiness that she hadn't felt often since her father, and was too focused on her imaginary scenarios about the dance to notice Levy snap a few pictures. Lucy dashed back into the dressing room and quickly changed back into her regular clothes, being extra careful with the dress.

"I'm going to go find out if I can rent the dress for the dance, and how much it'll be." Lucy said as she exited the dressing room with the dress draped across her arms. She walked up to the desk and started to talk with the clerk while the mischievous girls hovered around Levy to look at the pictures of Lucy in the dress.

"Mira is going to love this." Levy said as she sent the pictures to the barmaid.

"Lucy looked so beautiful in that dress, don't you think?" Juvia sighed. The others agreed. Levy's phone started to vibrate uncontrollably as Mira sent her fangirling via text.

"Next is the hard part. Getting Natsu to dress up." Laki sighed. Erza smacked her fists together, and announced, "I'll get him to wear what we want."

"S-scary…" Levy muttered fearfully.

"Hey guys! I worked out a plan with the manager, and I'll be able to rent the dress for the dance while I pay a little bit every week!" Lucy shouted in excitement as she rejoined the girls.

"That's amazing Lucy!" Levy exclaimed.

"Now all you need are the wings." Juvia said. Lucy froze, and seemed to lose all life.

"How am I supposed to make angel wings?" She asked.

"Don't worry about it. We still have a week, and we'll help you!" Levy said.

"We got it, Lucy." Erza said.

"Yea, no worries." Canna shrugged.

"Juvia will make sure you are no longer a love rival!" Juvia said enthusiastically.

"We're here for you." Laki smiled.

"You guys are the best!" Lucy cried. The girls finished looking around in the boutique and voted to go get some food since it was almost noon already.

"Levy, don't you need to get a dress?" Lucy asked.

"Oh, I think I'll be fine." She replied. Unbeknownst to Lucy, Levy and the others already had their costumes ready. They wanted to focus on Lucy and Natsu. The romantic tension between the couple was driving everyone around them insane.

"If you insist." Lucy said with a shrug. The girls wandered around the square looking for a suitable restaurant to dine in.

"How about some cheeseburgers?" Cana suggested, gesturing towards a café across the street.

"That's fine with me." Lucy said. The others agreed, and the girls went in and grabbed a table. The restaurant was bustling since it was lunch hour, and it took a while for their food to reach them after they ordered, but the girls didn't mind the wait. They spent that time chatting and discussing their plans for the week.

"I have my first day tomorrow, and everything is finally starting to get back to normal." Lucy said with a relieved sigh.

"I can't believe Natsu got you a job at Fairy Tail." Levy said with a smile.

"I'm grateful. I don't know what I would have done if I didn't get a job." Lucy shrugged.

"Can you imagine, though. Working with Natsu. You two will be together basically all day everyday at this rate." Laki commented. Lucy felt her face start to flush at Laki's observation.

"I mean, some of the Fairy Tail boys work there too." Lucy said quickly.

"Gray-sama works there as well. Juvia sometimes visits him during his shifts." Juvia said. Lucy pictured Juvia following Gray around the bar and glaring at girls that tried to flirt with him.

"But Natsu will be very protective of you." Erza said with a raised brow.

"How so?" Lucy asked.

"Well you remember what he did to that guy that kept flirting with you." Erza replied. Lucy bit her lip anxiously at the memory.

Lucy was standing in line at the cafeteria to get her lunch, since she no longer had a chef to make it for her, and it was taking forever. Her bruises were aching, since it was only a few days since her father's beating, and she was tense and stressed.

"First time in the lunch line?" A masculine voice said from behind the blonde. Lucy turned back and saw a tall jock with bleached hair and an irritating smirk staring at her.

"Yea." She said quietly, turning back to face the line.

"You're the new girl, I've heard about you. Gotta say though, I didn't expect you to be so hot. Even with those sick bruises." The jock said arrogantly. Lucy rolled her eyes and turned her head to glare at the man behind her.

"I'm sure you look even better without those bruises." He continued.

"Look, I'm flattered, but I just want to get my lunch." Lucy said with a forced smile.

"Hey, I'm just trying to be nice. No need to be such a bitch about it. Now I see why your dad beat you." The jock spat. Lucy froze. Her mind sent her back to that moment when she was curled up on the floor and her father was kicking her, and how helpless she felt. Her breath quickened and her hands started to shake.

"But I'm a forgiving guy, so if you go to the Harvest Festival with me, I can overlook this." He said, his hand stroking her hair. Lucy was still petrified. The asshole then smirked and put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her into his chest. Lucy came free from her daze and tried to push herself out of his grasp.

"Let go of me." She cried.

"Come on baby, don't be that way." The jock said. He started to pull her out of the line, and Lucy continued to struggle to get away from him to no avail. Her ribs were throbbing in pain due to her scrambling, and tears started to fill her eyes. Before the jock took another step, there was a loud thud, and he was wrenched away from the scared blonde.

"Get away from Lucy, fucker." Natsu growled. He punched the jock in the face again, sending him crashing down to cafeteria floor. Natsu kicked the jock once, and then rushed over to Lucy.

"Are you okay?" He asked, his gaze searching her body for any sign of injury, or more injuries.

"I'm fine. He just said something about my dad beating me is all. It's fine, Natsu." Lucy said, forcing a smile for her friend. She blinked back the tears in her eyes, but Natsu saw them. A scowl marred his face, and he marched back to the guy, who had just gotten up again.

"You hurt Lucy." He snarled. Natsu swung at the jock, his fist connecting with his face- again- and then again, his other fist smacking into the jock's chest.

"Natsu, stop!" Lucy yelled. She rushed forward and grabbed his arm, her hand wrapping around his clenched fist.

"It's okay." She whispered. Natsu growled at the jock again, and Lucy was surprised to feel the rumbling sound in his chest.

"He's trash." Natsu spat.

"Yea, and he isn't worth your time. Just let it go." Lucy begged. Natsu's furious gaze met hers, and his face softened. He stroked her cheek fondly, and Lucy leaned into his hand.

"Fine." He said calmly. He looked back down at the jock, who was still sprawled on the floor.

"Come near her again and I won't stop next time." He threatened. Lucy pulled him away from the crowd and back to the table. Levy and Juvia were gaping at Natsu, and Gray just nodded in approval. Erza was, luckily, nowhere to be seen. When Lucy saw the jock in the halls, he always avoided eye contact and practically ran away from her. Ever since that incident, Natsu either waited in line with Lucy or made her lunch.

"Well, that was one time. And I'll be at work, he'll be busy working." Lucy stammered.

"If he sees one of the drunks getting too handsy or flirty with you, he'll definitely start a fight." Erza declared.

"She's right." Levy agreed.

"Well, then I'll make sure to talk to him and make sure he doesn't do anything rash. I can handle myself." Lucy grumbled, taking an angry bite out of her burger. Conversation drifted away from Natsu, again, and they kept talking long after finishing their food. Lucy was laughing at all the crazy stories about Fairy Tail. Lucy's phone was left on the table, but she wasn't paying attention to it at all. Until it started to vibrate. She ignored the noise at first, but then the vibrations kept coming over and over again.

"What the hell?" Lucy muttered. She picked up her phone and saw a million messages from Natsu.

Natsu: Lucyyyyyyy I got off an hour early where are you?

Natsu: ur not home, where u at

Natsu: Luuuuuuuuuuusssshhhhheeeeeeeeeee

Natsu: luce if u don't answer me I'm gonna get worried

Natsu: did u go out w levy?

Natsu: luce I'm bored come hang out w me

Natsu: luce I'm gonna come find u

"Sorry guys, Natsu is being needy." Lucy explained. The girls just laughed and went back to what they were talking about before Lucy's phone exploded.

Lucy: Natsu, I'm fine. I'm with Levy &amp; the girls, I'll hang out with u later.

Natsu: but I wanna hang out now

Lucy: u were with me literally not even five hours ago

Natsu: yeaaaa, but I'm bored

Natsu: happy wants u to play w him

Lucy: it'll have to wait. I'll see u at my house later ok? We can get dinner

Natsu: fine. But I want spicy chicken wings

Lucy: fine :)

Natsu: im all fired up! Ill see u for dinner ;)

Lucy smiled and a small giggle escaped her lips, drawing the attention of the group of girls sitting around the distracted blonde.

"Hey Lucy, what you giggling about?" Cana asked, scooting closer to the girl.

"Oh, sorry. It's nothing." Lucy said with a polite smile.

"Oho? Is your boyfriend making a joke?" Cana teased.

"He's not my boyfriend yet!" Lucy exclaimed. She gasped and covered her mouth at her slip.

"Yet?" Erza asked, an evil smile on her face.

"I-I didn't mean that." Lucy stuttered. The girls had leaned in closer now, and Lucy felt trapped.

"Yet implies that there is hope. That maybe later on he will be your boyfriend." Levy said. The other girls nodded in agreement, all of them wearing matching devilish smirks.

"So what if I'm crushing on Natsu? I only met him three weeks ago! That's not enough time for those kind of feelings to really develop!" Lucy rambled.

"Oh bullshit. You can't help this kind of thing. You can't honestly tell us that you and Natsu have a connection." Cana said.

"Well, I do feel like I've known him for forever." Lucy said after a pause.

"Well there you go. Time isn't a good gage to determine emotions and relationships. I know people that were together for five years that got divorced and I know people that got married after four months and have been together ever since." Cana said, taking a swig from her drink.

"Well, he'll never ask me to the dance, or to be his girlfriend. I don't even think he knows what that even means." Lucy grumbled.

"Trust me. He knows, or at least he does now." Erza assured. Lucy smiled at the redhead.

"We'll see." She said.

After talking for another half hour or so, the girls went their separate ways. Lucy returned to her apartment, and was a bit more productive with her homework this time around. She finished all her work, and yawned. She stretched out her arms, and was relieved when her ribs didn't throb in pain. The worst of the injuries had almost healed, and Lucy was relieved to see the purple skin disappearing more and more each day. She had made an appointment with Dr. Newbell for Monday afternoon to see if she could try out for the soccer team. Tryouts were the day before the Harvest Festival, and Lucy was growing more nervous about her chances of getting on the team each day. She could manage most of her everyday actions without pain, but strenuous activity still made her chest hurt.

Lucy yawned again, and decided she could take a nap before Natsu came to get her for dinner. She settled in on her couch and felt her mind drift into the dark abyss of sleep.

Natsu had gone home and did a little bit of his homework, but spent most of his day playing video games as a distraction. He still remembered how happy Lucy had looked after her interview, after the prank she pulled of course, and how he couldn't resist pulling her in for a quick kiss. She drove him insane. He'd asked Gray about dating and relationships, and luckily the icy bastard decided to help Natsu out, after he finished laughing at him that is.

"Look, love is special and different for everyone. It makes people do crazy things, but also amazing things. The person you love should encourage you to be a better person. You should want to share everything with them and have them to do the same with you. I can't believe I'm saying this to you. Go ask Erza." Gray had said to the confused pink haired teen.

Natsu had asked around with most of his friends, and he'd come to the same conclusion. He was falling in love with Lucy. But the question was, did she feel the same?

**I hope y'all liked it! Let me know what you think and advice is always welcome! Reviews feed my soul**

**Also, here's the link to the dress I used as a reference when I was thinking about Lucy's dress. The one she's gonna wear is less formal, but still badass**

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